I Once Was You
by Aly Teima
Summary: Hmm, since no one was reviewing I thought I'd better change this. Harry's kidnapped, the rest of the gang is worried. Sounds familiar but give it a try, a lot more chapters coming, especially for you Sirius fans. I'll post more stories if I get some FB
1. An Evil Plan

"I Was Once You"  
  
  
  
Drip, drip, drip.....  
  
The gray-skinned, sniveling little man, tried, unsuccessfully, to steady his shattered nerves. The shadows on the cold stone walls surrounding him seemed to lengthen and become even more sinister.  
  
The temperature dropped and the few candles in the cavernous room flickered.  
  
The small man began trembling uncontrollably. Even after years of encounters his terror never seemed to abate.  
  
Any regrets he may have harbored in his shriveled, weak heart were swallowed up in the dark form of evil he served.  
  
He was now a slave to it.  
  
One of his hands began glowing with an unnatural light, the fingers flexing as they sensed their creator drawing near.  
  
Drip, drip......  
  
The water stopped as a large shape towered over the groveling, pitiful man.  
  
Not a voice but a hiss, followed by a slither.  
  
Red eyes narrowed.  
  
"Wormtail....."  
  
"I am sorry master!!"  
  
"Sorry is what you have always been and will always be. I gave you an order, you obey or die."  
  
Peter Pettigrew began whimpering like a kicked puppy. "He is too well protected my lord!"  
  
"We were successful once. Perhaps if my servant were more capable..."  
  
"I am capable my lord! I will find a way, I can still enter the castle undetected."  
  
"Yesssssss. But not for long, certainly. That Muggle-loving Dumbledore will have the boy under lock and key. Even delaying our actions till now cannot ensure successsss."  
  
"It was the other two brats! They are constantly near him, even at the Hogsmeade village. I had an opportunity......"  
  
"SILENCE!!!"  
  
Almost in tears, the rat complied.  
  
"You failed, neverthelessssss. If you must take the other children, then do so. They are mere liabilities and may even add to my revenge against the boy."  
  
Silence so thick it enveloped the Dark Lord's servant. Long, white fingers clasped the front of Pettigrew's robes and dragged him up towards the glowing eyes.  
  
"How can one boy have caused me even a moment of defeat? A skinny, orphaned whelp, not even a full wizard!!"  
  
"Master, I p-p-promise....."  
  
"Silence!! I grow tired of your incompetence"  
  
With a thud, the Dark wizard dropped Pettigrew to the floor.  
  
"How can he still be alive?" The evil voice hissed to himself.  
  
"We will get him, master."  
  
Voldemort turned around, his voice barely heard yet penetrating at the same time.  
  
"I wish to understand, Wormtail. I want that boy gone, destroyed by _my_ hand and no other. I don't simply want him dead, I want him broken. I wish for all of the Mudbloods and foolish weakling wizards and witches still clinging to hope to pay for ever honoring the boy. I want _him_ to pay for defeating me."  
  
Pettigrew said nothing, only continued whimpering and cowering at the foot of the evil wizard's robes.  
  
"I wish for all of them to be defeated. Without any reprieve or belief left. No essssscape....."  
  
The Dark lord turned on his quivering servant. With a high, cruel laugh he spit out a curse and Peter Pettigrew screamed until he was released.  
  
"That is to remind you of a later fate should you fail. Get Harry Potter, bring him to me at any cost. We will win this war before it has even begun" He paused and gazed at Wormtail knowingly.  
  
"James Potter's son, think of it Wormtail. The failure that you are compared to his status, always loved even as a martyr...."  
  
Finally, Pettigrew stopped whimpering, chubby fists clenching the Dark wizard's robes.  
  
"It won't be so with his son, my lord."  
  
Voldemort's high, cold laugh pierced the cavernous walls, piercing the dreams of the Boy Who Lived.  
  
************************************************************************ 


	2. The Dream's Aftermath

Ronald Weasley, after dealing with them for over five years, should have been used to waking up with a degree of calmness, even with his best friend's screaming nightmares.  
  
One thing he could never do, however, is remain calm when Harry's screams went beyond that of a normal nightmare. The terror one could hear implied something even more ghastly.  
  
Taking into account what had happened to Harry in just the time that Ron had known him, the red-headed boy's worries about the other half of the Dream Team had quadrupled. Especially after last year. Especially with what the Daily Prophet had to say each week concerning someone's rise to power. Especially, too, after the reactions of everyone around him over the summer.  
  
With surprising speed, Ron jumped out of bed even as Dean, Seamus and Neville all peered through their bed-curtains. All had circles under the eyes, but no hostility in them.....only concern.  
  
Ron's circles were the largest but he had done this before, sometimes without Harry even knowing. At times the dark-haired boy hadn't even woken up after a standard nightmare and that suited Ron just fine, even with Harry not knowing his efforts to help his best friend sleep.  
  
This time, however, Harry screamed at the top of his lungs, making Ron's hair stand on end. He clutched his forehead as though in great pain.  
  
The knot in the youngest Weasley boy's stomach tightened. Whenever Harry did that it always equaled big trouble.  
  
Ron grabbed Harry's shoulders with all of the strength he had and shook him awake. The green-eyed boy startled back to consciousness, paler than his pillow, one hand rubbing his scar.  
  
Impulsively he reached for his glasses and turned to his best friend.  
  
Ron's hands were still on Harry's shoulders but the taller boy didn't let go.  
  
"H-Harry?" Neville's voice was slightly shaky.  
  
"Sorry" Harry mumbled, staring at his sheets. Ron stepped back and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
The other boys turned over, more for Harry's sake than to salvage any more sleep. Ron shook his head tiredly.  
  
"You-Know-Who?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Dumbledore?"  
  
No reply.  
  
Harry stared into space for a minute. "Harry?" Ron's voice matched his worried face.  
  
"Maybe tomorrow" Harry's reply was so soft, Ron strained to hear it.  
  
"But...." The red-head cut himself off. He grabbed Harry's elbow lightly, feeling guilty when the other boy winced.  
  
Pettigrew's damage had never healed correctly. Pettigrew.......  
  
Ron ground his teeth at the name as he led Harry down to the common room. Whipping out his wand (Ron now slept with it under his pillow, no point in taking chances....) he re-lit the fire...on the second try.  
  
Harry was silent, massaging his forehead unconsciously. Something about his posture worried Ron. He looked so.....defeated. The Boy Who Gave Up.  
  
The red-head sat down on the couch next to Harry Potter. "I thought Dumbledore said to come to him after you had a dream like that."  
  
"He did"  
  
"Well......" Ron wasn't sure of what else to say. What could he say? Could he bring up the fact that his parents had become much stricter over the summer, keeping tabs on him and his siblings everywhere they went? That they were now always exchanging worried looks when they thought he wasn't looking?  
  
After what had happened to Cedric Diggory, Ron unhappily realized that his family placed him in a new light. The Weasleys' loved Harry dearly and thought of him as one of their own but no one could deny that Harry was the primary target of some seriously evil forces. Which meant that he and Hermione were also primary targets. Hermione was Muggle-born, Ron was the son of Arthur Weasley, enemy to a head Death-Eaters.  
  
According to Harry, Lucius Malfoy was one of Voldemort's top fiends. And taking into account previous hostility, with the sons and well as the fathers, the frightening idea that Ron could be used as a hostage against the Weasleys and Harry had made the holidays a time of constant supervision.  
  
After school began, the trio of himself, Hermione and Harry had nearly been put under guard. Harry's scar throbbed on a regular basis and his nightmares wouldn't let up.  
  
Hermione spend a lot of time with her nose in books trying to distract herself. Ron felt like he was sinking into a darker, more anxious world.  
  
The trio held each other up of course, but sometimes it seemed like their adolescent worlds had been turned upside-down with the return of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.  
  
Ron shook his head, coming back to the Gryffindor common room and trying to avoid Harry's puzzled gaze. The green-eyed boy looked rather abashed at this point, now that the fire had driven the last images of his nightmare away, for the moment.  
  
"Sorry mate"  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Doing _this_ again......I, well, aren't you tired of it all?"  
  
Ron raised a red eyebrow. "Aren't _you_?"  
  
He lightly poked Harry in the arm before shaking his head. "If I was tired of it, you'd know."  
  
Harry looked apprehensive and Ron rolled his hazel eyes. "But I'm _not_ and Hermione's _not_, nor Sirius or....or Dumbledore" He finished with a note of finality, looking at Harry sharply. His hint wasn't lost on his friend.  
  
Harry nodded. The youngest Weasley brother didn't press Harry for details about the dream. If he wanted to talk about it, he would in his own time and Ron or someone else would be there to listen. It was getting to be a well-oiled system.  
  
The two boys stared into the fire, not having to say anything, just sitting there.  
  
Ron was drifting off when he felt someone watching him. He turned and met Harry's spectacles.  
  
"Did your dad finish your family's wards?"  
  
Ron nodded. "Yeah, I was the last one because mine took the longest....." He trailed off, wanting to kick himself at the expression on his best friend's face.  
  
Harry's guilt over putting his best friends in danger had nearly become a large problem, with him attempting to isolate himself as a result. Unsuccessfully, since those around him cared too much to just leave him to his own devices.  
  
"It's not just you, you arrogant git. It's because of the Ministry, standard procedure for all employees and we've got two in the family." It was a lie but Harry smiled slightly . Ron smiled back.  
  
Clapping his friend on the shoulder, Ron stood up. "Well, I think we should turn in, eh Harry?"  
  
The black-haired boy was staring into the fire again, not following Ron when he began walking back to the dormitory.  
  
"You shouldn't feel bad about Pettigrew, Ron. You couldn't have known."  
  
Ron was speechless for a moment. He froze and stared hard at the back of Harry's head. "You dreamed about _him_?"  
  
No answer. "Harry!!"  
  
The young wizard didn't look at Ron when he replied. "I just don't want you to blame yourself anymore."  
  
"But........Harry......" Nothing. Ron's closest friend was closed off and the red-haired boy felt like screaming in frustration. Harry had gotten too good at that. And what was all of this business about anyway? It worried Ron and he felt as thought he had more than his fair share at the moment.  
  
How in the bloody hell had Harry known that he.....  
  
*Of course he knows, you prat. He'd feel the same way if things were switched*  
  
Ron's thoughts quieted down. "Well...uh, I guess we should try and get some sleep. I think Snape's gonna have a nasty assignment saved for us tomorrow."  
  
Harry stood up, a half-smile on his face. "When does he not? I think this double-agent business has made him even more unpleasant, if that's possible."  
  
Ron snickered and began following Harry up the stairs, knowing the previous subject had been purposely dropped but not knowing what to do about it.  
  
Harry was his best friend. The only thing he knew how to do anymore was to avoid pushing him, but still be a friend when needed.  
  
"Thanks Ron" Harry mumbled before turning over in bed.  
  
Ron smiled and nodded before drifting off himself. Before falling totally asleep, he felt Harry's eyes watching his back. *Like they always are....* Ron's last few thoughts were a little troubled, however.  
  
Harry had obviously seen, and was concealing, something very important. Harry should also have talked to Dumbledore tonight, regardless of how late it was. Both thoughts managed to slip away.  
  
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	3. The Kidnapping

*Round this bend.......can't be seen.....make sure you still got everything.......* Being a former Marauder had it's benefits, certainly. Pettigrew the rat was panting as he made his way to a spot he had scouted out for two days.  
  
Detection, especially during these heightened times was always a problem, especially with the Headmaster knowing all about the four Animagus' that had caused havoc long ago.  
  
The Marauder's Map had shown more modern entries but thanks to his Dark master's powers and his close inspection of the castle during his years as a rat, Wormtail had found a way to bury under the castle and open up an unused, ancient passage in a far corner of Hogwarts.  
  
Though he feared his master more than any other, Pettigrew was still terrified of being caught and knew better than to underestimate Dumbledore, especially after Potter's abduction a year before.  
  
After two days of relative silence and memorizing the boy's path to class, Wormtail was growing bolder. He had to make his move.  
  
The long walk to the astronomy tower was perfect. He could then escape out through the dungeons, quickly and silently, with a little help from some powerful dark magic.  
  
Pettigrew fingered the thick, black ropes given to him, with some apprehension. They were the main key to his plan. Without them, he knew that there was no way around the wards protecting and surrounding Harry Potter.  
  
And still, they would only work for a few hours. He had to get the boy to his master before then or face a horrible penalty.  
  
Wormtail was feverish when he thought of his master's reaction when he presented Harry Potter to him. To finally have that bothersome whelp safely out of the way.....  
  
The rat's thoughts were silenced as turned back into his animal form. Voices could be heard.  
  
Wormtail listened, growing angry with frustration when he recognized one of them. *No..not again. Always with that blasted Weasley....* The Dark lord's words to him were not unremembered, it was just......  
  
Certainly Lucius Malfoy wouldn't mind tormenting his least favorite family by kidnapping Ronald. Pettigrew, however, knew that he couldn't take both without detection and....well.....it was Potter that his master wanted.  
  
*You were the boy's pet, that's all.* Wormtail pushed the irrational thought away. He could not be distracted if an opportunity should present itself.  
  
It did.  
  
One voice faded away and instead of the pair he was used to seeing, only Ron came into view. Sometimes that bushy-haired mudblood came along but today it was just the tall red-head.  
  
Weasley was muttering to himself. Wormtail felt a stab of anticipation. Potter wasn't with him, this could be his only opportunity.  
  
Ron stopped and turned around, as though debating whether or not to go back. He then shrugged and leaned against the far wall, waiting for a few minutes, nervously scratching his head. Finally, he continued on, looking over his shoulder from time to time.  
  
Pettigrew turned back into a human, checked his equipment one more time and waited........  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
  
  
Harry was huffing and puffing. He cursed his bad luck.  
  
*Why did Snape have to be in _that_ hallway at _that_ time and, of course, bump into me?" He shook his head, still running to get to Divination.  
  
At least Ron had gotten away in the five minutes it had taken Harry to get a lecture then detention. He knew that Ron would have waited for him except for his frantic gestures to his friend to avoid more trouble seemed to have worked.  
  
Harry stopped in the long hallway usually occupied by Sir Cadogan's picture to catch his breath. It probably didn't help anything that both Ron and Hermione had chewed him out and were equally annoyed (finally agreeing on something) that he had yet to speak to Dumbledore about his disturbing dream the other night.  
  
His scar was still twinging a bit. That didn't bode well.  
  
Harry stopped gasping for breath long enough to notice how oddly quiet the hallway was. A prickle of apprehension crept suddently down his back, giving him goosebumps.  
  
Waiting but hearing nothing Harry shrugged it off and foolishly put his books down to rub at the stitch in his side. *If only Ron and 'Mione would leave it alone, maybe I could...well....* Harry wasn't sure how to finish that thought.  
  
He was tired. Tired of burdening people with his affairs, tired of not finding any answers, but very tired of seeing everyone else's frustration around him at his own continuing problems. Instead of helping, Harry always felt much worse for it, especially lately.  
  
Still, all qualms aside, he really should see the headmaster if only because he gave his word and.....  
  
Harry froze. He heard something. "S-Sir Cadogan?" Nothing  
  
The black-haired boy shrugged. The over-enthusiastic knight must be off annoying, er...helping someone.  
  
He should not have paused.  
  
Quicker than Harry could have expected, even with the boy's Quidditch skills, he felt a tight hand clamp over his mouth, cutting off his surprised yell.  
  
His arms were pulled behind him and Harry felt himself dragged back down the corridor. He began to struggle in earnest, trying to get the hand away from his mouth or to dislodge his attacker's strong grip.  
  
He couldn't turn to see who it was but knew who it would probably turn out to be. A muffled curse was heard as Harry fought harder.  
  
He felt something cold and strong wrap itself around his wrists and arms. They were then immobilized even as Harry kept struggling.  
  
He heard a low voice conjuring a spell of some kind and then a grinding sound. Harry knew what had happened. There was a tunnel. How could there be another tunnel here?  
  
The boy was then dragged into the narrow space still fighting. Harry could only watch as his captor turned him around, slamming him against the stone wall. The young wizard felt a surge of fury.  
  
Wormtail. Of course, it had to be.  
  
Harry realized how Pettigrew kept him pinned, even with the fifteen year old's added height. Voledemort's magical gift shone eerily in the dimly- lit tunnel.  
  
Wormtail reached into his robe pocket and took out a black cloth. Harry jerked his head away but could not stop Pettigrew from tightly fastening the gag and then turning his attention away to magic the hidden door closed again.  
  
Still gripping Harry's bound arms, the rat started on his ankles and legs. Watching in horror, Harry saw several thick, black ropes move on their own accord, tying his legs securely.  
  
Wormtail reached up to grab Harry's glasses, pausing to meet the green-eyed boy's glare.  
  
"You're probably wondering why I'm doing this instead of just killing you myself" he hissed.  
  
Harry didn't want to humor him with any kind of response. Pettigrew continued.  
  
"You know, I would dearly love to see the look on Black's face when he realizes that his precious godson is gone, not to mention who took him."  
  
Harry's eyes widened and he began struggling furiously.  
  
"Now, now, there's no need for that." Wormtail said patronizingly as he removed Harry's glasses. The young wizard blinked, unable to see anything but moving blurs.  
  
"Mobiliacorpus"  
  
The spell lifted Harry up, allowing him to catch the miserable traitor's words. "Works better than a blindfold, eh Harry?"  
  
Tapping the glasses with his wand, they disappeared in a flash of light. Harry jerked his head away violently when Pettigrew mussed up his hair.  
  
"Let's go see my master, shall we?"  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
The journey didn't take very long, even with Harry unable to see anything.  
  
He knew that he was being taken underground but how far from Hogwarts they were, he had no idea.  
  
The ropes binding him were obviously magical and quite effective, Harry had soon found out, exhausting himself to no avail.  
  
Wormtail began muttering to himself, louder and louder, the farther down they went.  
  
A white-hot pain flashed through Harry's scar and he shuddered. He heard a door creak and the spell moving him removed abruptly.  
  
Collapsing onto the floor in a heap, Harry could barely make out two other, larger shapes besides Wormtail.  
  
The pain in his scar didn't abate, but it didn't intensify just yet.  
  
Still, he struggled a bit, trying to push down the waves of fear enveloping him. He was then picked up and carried to a long pole (Or what looked like one as far as Harry could see) in the center of the torch-lit room.  
  
The burly Death Eater lifted Harry up and slid his bound arms over the pole, effectively pinning him there.  
  
The position was very uncomfortable but Harry could do little to change it. He forgot that discomfort, however, when a searing pain exploded in his head.  
  
A long shadow seemed to fill the room. A shriek of terror was heard from the rat and the other Death Eaters cowered against the walls.  
  
"Welcome Harry" The evil hiss chilled Harry to the bone.  
  
Voldemort glided over to the boy, placing a hand against Harry Potter's forehead. The Heir of Slytherin took a delight in watching Harry's agony before the young wizard finally blacked out.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
What will happen to poor Harry? What about everyone else? Do you honestly think that Voldemort's gonna win? Stay tuned! 


	4. Percy's Ponderings

Percival Weasley sat drumming his fingers on his family's battered kitchen table, lost in thought.  
  
The Burrow, perhaps for the first time since being built, was completely still. The family clock was moving around distractedly, but not to the usual, everyday places like work, school or even "You're late".  
  
Most pointed to Hogwarts, even Bill and Charlie's hands. Most......except Harry's. The slim silver hand, the newest addition to the old clock and standing out among eight gold was set, as it had been for two days, at "Mortal Peril".  
  
That hand with Harry's name on it had been added by Arthur Weasley, Percy's dad, after the Triwizard Tournament. As far as Percy knew, Harry hadn't even known.  
  
Percy thought back to two days ago, early afternoon, when his father had come bursting into his Ministry office and blurted out some horrible news.  
  
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the good-natured lad that Percy had liked, not just as Ron's best friend but for himself, had been taken.  
  
All that had been found were Harry's deserted schoolbooks, chillingly, with his glasses on top of them to leave no doubt that the boy had not disappeared by accident.  
  
Thinking about it again made Percy rather ill. If Harry, as well known and seemingly protected as he was, could vanish, then what about Ginny, again? Or the twins? (Percy pushed the initial feeling of euphoria away)  
  
What if it had been Ron?  
  
The panicked look on his father's face had first made Percy think it _had_ been Ron. He still felt guilty for that momentary flash of sweet relief when his father revealed that it was Harry and not his little brother.  
  
Still, the Weasleys had reacted in a way that would have surprised Harry. He was now one of them, for better or for worse. The grief-stricken family had gathered at Hogwarts, trying in any way each of them could to alleviate the situation, but mainly trying to find Harry.  
  
Ron, of course, was the worst off. He walked around like he was in a trance, according to Molly Weasley.  
  
And Percy felt even guiltier remembering his mother's reports. Remembering the fact that he was the only one not yet at Hogwarts, avoiding his family, on the outskirts yet again.  
  
Percy couldn't really explain it, but he didn't quite want to face the situation, or the emotions that were running high at that school.  
  
He didn't want to see what had been described to him. His father, pale and haggard, going from work to Hogwarts, getting very little sleep trying to hold many of his children up. Ginny, crying her eyes out and inconsolable.  
  
Even the twins were subdued and depressed. No jokes, no laughter. And Dumbledore, yes even Dumbledore was not immune, supposedly looking older and more sad than anyone had ever seen him.  
  
All Percy's parents had told him was that the headmaster had finally figured out how Harry had been taken out of Hogwarts undetected. It must have been planned very, very carefully.  
  
Harry Potter had some very powerful spells protecting him. It must have been a flash in the pan chance to actually take him without having the entire Hogwarts faculty, not to mention many, many others clamp down hard on whoever was responsible.  
  
Percy shivered. But they _knew_ who was responsible, didn't they? He and Ron certainly knew. Now was no time for regrets, but Percy Weasley hated that rat with a passion.  
  
The second time the boy had been taken out of a supposedly protected area. The venerable old wizard, greatly respected and admired, was not acting like himself. Harry perhaps wasn't just a weapon against dark magic or Voldemort. He was just Harry, kind and unassuming and more loved than he could have realized.  
  
Percy clenched his fists. His mother, her face pinched and frightened, had left immediately after hearing the news, to be with Ron and Hermione. Percy could only guess what they must be feeling right now.  
  
Two days and no word. No ransom, nothing. Death Eater attacks had even stopped, as though to make the statement that Voldemort finally had what he wanted.  
  
Percy adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses and prepared to apparate. He couldn't put it off any longer.....he could just hear what his brothers must be saying about him. "Yeah, that Percy. Even now, all he cares about is his Ministry work." It hurt more than he cared to recognize.  
  
Well, regardless, he wanted to see his little brother, even if he had no idea of what he would say. Frustrated by his inability to show anything but pompous arrogance, Percy really loved his family very much, though he had always had more in common with his older brothers.  
  
Ginny, the youngest and the only girl, was tight with their parents. Fred and George had each other. It was Ron, therefore, growing up in the middle that Percy had developed a fierce sense of protectiveness for.  
  
He still couldn't explain it, not even to himself, but any fears or problems he had been forced to deal with during the darker times of his childhood, well....he wanted Ron to be spared them.  
  
Ginny had been born after Voldemort's fall and Ron had only dealt with a year of it. One year too many.  
  
When Ron had had nightmares about spiders or what not, Percy had always been the one to calm him down. Whenever his parents or older siblings had been distracted and Ron (who had an annoying and concerning habit of doing so) had wandered off, it was Percy who always went after and found him.  
  
When Ron became a little older, however, and gone off to Hogwarts, Percy had backed off, not sure how his little brother would view his Hogwarts Prefect/Head Boy persona.  
  
But that hadn't helped his own feelings of sadness at Ron's increased hostility, always believing the worst of Percy when many things pointed to just the opposite. Ambitious, cold and ruthless Percy, who cared only for himself.......  
  
Matters seemed worse still when Percy found it more and more difficult to watch out for Ron, who always got himself in the worst situations. Facing a mountain troll, getting knocked out by a chess set, nearly getting eaten by giant spiders, nearly getting stabbed by a former convict. All of these things had aged Percy beyond his years, yet he couldn't show it.  
  
Okay, he'd shown it once. It was just one experience too many. Ron had been under the Hogwarts lake for long after the time limit and Percy had finally snapped, embarrassing his little brother by grabbing him in a bone- crushing hug in front of the school when he had resurfaced.  
  
Then there was Harry. Ron's best friend. Voldemort's main target. Finally successful, it seemed, in getting the boy out of the way.  
  
Percy swallowed at the lump in his throat, glanced at the clock one last time before disappearing with a *pop*. Still no change. At least Ron's was still on "Hogwarts".  
  
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	5. Godfather, Godson

"Sirius, you need to sit down. I'm getting exhausted just watching you." If his friend had heard him, he didn't register it.  
  
Remus Lupin, former professor, sighed and put his hands on the other's shoulders. "Come on old friend, this isn't going to help any."  
  
Sirius Black remained standing, staring at the far wall in the long Hogwarts corridor. Lupin followed his gaze, staring at the tunnel which had been blocked off by some powerful dark magic immediately after it had served its purpose.  
  
The place where Harry had vanished. Where his trademark glasses had been found, without their owner.  
  
The still-young man whose eyes held too many shadows now held a few more. Lupin, also, looked even more worn than usual and that, he could admit to himself, was saying something.  
  
He couldn't understand fully what Sirius was going through, but his heart went out to him. The other man had not slept since it had happened.  
  
Remus flashed back to his year as a teacher, remembering Harry's innocent face with those old, old eyes. If anyone deserved to be spared from pain, it was that boy. Another stab of worry went through him, common since hearing the news and also since he acted as Black's lookout, since it wasn't exactly safe for Sirius to be out in the open just yet.  
  
He shuddered, too, remembering his friend's reaction when Dumbledore had quietly told him. It was more than just feelings of duty as Harry's godfather that caused Black's reaction. How could he not have realized that Sirius loved that boy with everything left in him?  
  
Not even the Dementors could have done what the past few days had, simply not knowing if Harry lived. Lupin forced his friend to sit down, not voicing his thoughts. Every hour that Harry was gone made the chances of finding him alive more and more slim.  
  
A very dog-like growl sounded from Black's throat as Lupin was jolted out of his reverie. Cautiously, he sat down next to him.  
  
"I'll kill him, Moony. I swear, I'll tear him apart the next time I see him."  
  
Lupin didn't have to ask who Sirius was talking about. He sighed deeply.  
  
"That's not going to help James' son, Padfoot."  
  
Sirius suddenly buried his face in his hands, moaning quietly. "I've failed one too many times, old friend. If Harry had been with me...."  
  
"He would have still gone to school and this still could have happened. No one saw this coming, we didn't think Voldemort would be so bold." Remus cut him off.  
  
Sirius stared into space, his eyes empty. "We didn't think at all. Remus, if Harry doesn't come back....I-I, well, what am I going to do? I can't see past that, he was the only reason I escaped from Azkaban. I keep seeing his face the last time we talked....the time we spent, it was too short. God, it was barely even a moment and now it could be all I have left."  
  
Lupin grabbed Sirius' shoulder and shook him a bit. "Stop Sirius. Harry knows how you feel about him, he's a smart kid, he's his father's son, isn't he?"  
  
No reply. Lupin's hand wasn't quite steady when he removed it. "The time is always too short, old friend. We can't think like that anyway. It's what Voldemort wants, to get us to surrender."  
  
"That's the problem, if he wants something in exchange for Harry then I'm afraid I'd give it to him, no matter what it was."  
  
Remus stood up and offered a hand to his friend. Before pulling Sirius up, he gave him a warning look. "Well, if you don't stop that damn pacing I'm going to abdicate to the other side before too long."  
  
Sirius couldn't quite smile but he didn't look so defeated. It was a ridiculous joke and he was grateful for the fact.  
  
"I just wish I knew how that rat had done it. How Moony?"  
  
Remus shook his head. "I remember Dumbledore telling me when I first came to school here that Hogwarts is full of mysteries that no one can quite fathom. I mean, come on, remember the Chamber of Secrets? What about those tunnels that those mad booby traps were set up in to protect the Philosopher's Stone?"  
  
Sirius grimaced. "Harry and Harry again. How can one kid get into so much trouble?"  
  
Remus grinned. "Harry and _company_. Besides, how could four boys get into as much trouble as we managed to, remember Padfoot?"  
  
Sirius looked old and sad. "Four.....yeah, I remember."  
  
As they turned to walk away, Lupin looked expectantly at his friend. "Uh..forgetting something are we?"  
  
"Oh, come off it, the school's practically deserted. Who's going to see me that doesn't know the truth?"  
  
"Orders are orders." Not quite being able to repress his grin, Lupin rubbed the top of Black's head and whistled. "Come on boy, that's a good boy. If you behave I'll give you a doggy treat."  
  
"That's it....." Lupin dodged his friend's half-hearted swipe before Black transformed and growled at him, baring his teeth.  
  
Remus kneeled down to the dog's level. "We'll find him Sirius. I swear, we're not going to lose that boy. Where ever he is, James is looking out for him."  
  
The black dog whimpered but wagged its tail.  
  
************************************************************************ 


	6. Weasleys Unite

Percy arrived at the Hogwarts Express train station, a bit out of breath. It was his third jump and he was out of practice.  
  
Scanning the scant crowd, he easily spotted several members of his family, with their trademark hair.  
  
Classes at Hogwarts had been temporarily suspended. Fear seemed to radiate from everyone as parents quickly took their children away from the supposedly safe school. With a flash Percy wondered about Sirius Black, whom Ron had told them about.  
  
*The man must be out of his head with worry* Percy felt a stab of pity as he walked stiffly over to his family, putting on his former "Head Boy, pompous _somebody_" face that he used at times.  
  
Arthur, Molly, Ginny, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George....someone was missing. Well, two actually. Voldemort had Harry, no one could forget that fact. This was a calculated blow, one probably well perceived by the Dark wizard.  
  
Where was Ron , though?  
  
"Percy!" To his surprise, his father gave him a brief hug before turning to the other members of the family. "Are you all right? Everything at home still fine?"  
  
"Er...yes, fine father. I, um..know how to apparate after all. It's quite simple" Percy just caught the twins rolling their eyes at each other. He grimaced inwardly.  
  
"Where is Ron?" Percy expressed his nagging thought. Silence.  
  
His mother dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and put her arms around Ginny, who looked as haggard as she had as a first year.  
  
"Gryffindor common room" Charlie answered. "We were just going back up there, y'know, to see how he's doing."  
  
Percy nodded stiffly before noticing someone else there. "Hello Hermione" he said quietly but not unkindly.  
  
She sniffed and nodded at him, her face set.  
  
As the group began walking, Percy found himself flanked by his older brothers. "Are you okay, Perce?" Bill asked, tossing an arm around his shoulder. Percy nodded, uncertain. His family was acting rather odd, and although it was sad that such circumstances had to bring them together like this, he felt a little lighter inside.  
  
"We were wondering, since you took so long in coming." Charlie draped another arm around Percy's shoulders, both giving him a slight hug before leaving him in peace.  
  
Percy, walking behind his family, observed them. Arthur had his arm around Molly's waist, the other around Hermione's shoulders.  
  
Percy caught up to the three and looked down at the young witch. "Er...how are you?"  
  
Hermione looked at him, her face stricken. Her lower lip quivered a bit and she rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand before shrugging her shoulders.  
  
Percy wanted to curse his stupidity. Well how did he think she was? Fine, great, terrific?  
  
He wasn't sure of what to say to her, he had never seen the girl this quiet before and it unsettled him. Usually Hermione wouldn't stop chattering to save her life.  
  
Silence. Percy blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "How's Ron?" *Stupid, stupid, prat!!!* Too late now, however.  
  
Hermione suddenly looked older than fifteen. "He's......having a hard time. Everyone is. I-If Harry were here, I guess he'd find a way to cheer us all up but....he..."  
  
That was as far as she got. Molly quickly had her in a hug, soothing her with soft words as the witch sobbed terribly. Mrs. Weasley didn't look so good herself.  
  
"She hasn't been sleeping, her parents are coming tomorrow but she doesn't want to go." Percy nodded, his stomach feeling like he'd swallowed a lead bar.  
  
When the troop arrived inside the castle, Percy immediately turned towards the common room.  
  
"Hey Perce?" He turned back. Fred came trotting up to him.  
  
"You might need the password."  
  
"Oh, right." Percy felt a bit sheepish. "Thanks"  
  
"Sure, tell Ron hey from us"  
  
"I will"  
  
He heard his father's "Be careful" and Hermione's muffled sobs before shaking his head and continuing.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
*That's just weird, how empty the grounds look sometimes* Ronald Weasley sat staring out of his dormitory window, his thoughts far away.  
  
His eyes settled on the wide lake below, a memory flitting back to him.  
  
~"How do you know?"  
  
"I'm sorry Mr. Weasley?"  
  
"Well, it's that rhyme, y'know. Something has been taken which you will surely miss. How do you know exactly what the champions will miss?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled wisely, his eyes going to each of the participants.  
  
"There is a spell, a complex charm that was performed. The champions didn't even know what they revealed. I can assure you, however, it is as foolproof as such a spell can be."  
  
Ron didn't feel convinced and Dumbledore stared piercingly at him.  
  
"You see Mr. Weasley, the champions state various things unknowingly, but only the spell can determine what it is they will miss most in the world."  
  
"Miss the most?"  
  
"Yes Ronald, the most. The thing that they are not complete without, to be slightly over-dramatic."  
  
"But...but, he's,uh....he's Harry Potter."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, he is. Should that matter so much, one's name? Especially when one loves and cherishes a friend" ~  
  
Ron blinked rapidly. Harry had chosen him, over everything else. He remembered Hermione's face when she looked at him. He'd been furious with her, *you mean jealous* No! Just angry, but she had looked very happy and he'd guessed he'd felt the same way.  
  
It wasn't everyday you had a friend who would miss you more than anything else. Suddenly, Ron knew exactly how that felt. Something had been taken, which all of them sorely missed, especially him.  
  
*Harry could be dead, or he might not remember any of them, after Voldemort is finished with him. He could be being tortured at this very moment, and.....*  
  
"Ron?"  
  
Ron jumped a mile, startling Hedwig who had been sitting quietly next to him, hooting softly. Her large, amber eyes looked at Ron mournfully before she fluttered off to rest on Harry's bedpost.  
  
Ron looked near the door and saw...  
  
"Oh, it's you. Hey Percy"  
  
The first thing Percy noticed about Ron was what he had in his hands. A pair of thick, round and slightly battered glasses. Harry's.  
  
Percy squeezed his eyes shut before walking over.  
  
"You decided to come after all, huh? What's the matter, ran out of Cauldron forms to fill out at work?"  
  
Ron said all of this still staring out of the window. Percy quickly put on his pompous mask, not allowing Ron to see how much the words stung.  
  
"You shouldn't be here moping. Maybe by doing something constructive you'll feel...."  
  
"Ah, stuff it Percy." Ron looked at him, eyes angry and ears as red as his hair.  
  
Percy looked at him helplessly as his little brother turned his attention back to the glasses in his hands.  
  
"Look, Ron...."  
  
"I don't need your advice Mr. Perfect Percy!!" Ron shouted at him, eyes now bright. "You wanna tell me that everything's fine. Maybe if you actually had any friends you would understand...or maybe if you cared about anything except your stupid career you would be in a position to say that Harry's going to come back and...."  
  
Ron couldn't finish, the lump in his throat was choking him and he could barely see. He hated this, he was being a baby and a wimp but all of the worry and fear that had wracked him since his best friend had been kidnapped was coming to the surface, he couldn't stop it.  
  
Percy, silent through all of this, took Ron's shoulders and pulled him into a fierce embrace ignoring Ron's protests and feeble struggle.  
  
Ron stopped suddenly and wrapped his long arms around his older brother in an iron grip, even as Percy smiled because of it.  
  
For several minutes neither said anything, Ron's shoulders shuddering and Percy lightly stroking the younger Weasley's hair.  
  
"It'll be all right Ron, you'll see. I mean....he's the Boy Who Lived, several times over." The words sounded stale to Percy but he kept his arms around Ron.  
  
Ron's hug didn't slacken but tightened in reply. "I'm sorry, I'm really, truly sorry Ron. You're right."  
  
Ron shook his head.  
  
"No, you are. I don't know how it feels. I never had a friend like Harry, none of us did. Do you think that any of us would have pushed so hard to make something of ourselves if we had a friend who already saw the best in us?"  
  
Ron stood very still.  
  
"All I know is how I would feel if...well, if something were to happen to someone I care about."  
  
Finally, Ron looked up, long nose very red and hazel eyes wide and confused. "It was my fault Perce."  
  
Percy said nothing, allowing him to go on. "I....I should have waited for him. That day, he was right behind me but I didn't wait for him. I thought it would be okay."  
  
"Ron, nine times out of ten, it would have been okay. None of us can predict the future."  
  
"Yeah tell me about it, that fraud Trelawney even said that she knew exactly what was keeping Harry when he didn't show up. Divination, what a joke."  
  
Percy had to smile at that. "What did she say?"  
  
Ron scowled. "Doesn't matter. That bat still wouldn't let me go look for him. Even when he hadn't shown up all hour. I think that something was telling me something was really wrong. But I was too damn late, wasn't I?"  
  
Ron pushed Percy away and glowered at him, finally embarrassed at betraying his emotions.  
  
"There hasn't been any news, not even 'Mione has been able to find anything. If she can't figure out where Harry is, what chance do the rest of us have?"  
  
Percy lifted a red eyebrow, trying not to roll his eyes at the obvious.  
  
"And she's leaving! She's leaving me, uh..us, she's leaving _here_ I mean. So that's all, I don't know what to do and..." Ron's ears were positively glowing now.  
  
Percy opened his mouth but.....  
  
"Excuse me, am I interrupting something?"  
  
Percy felt a momentary stab of panic before reminding himself of who this was. Harry's _godfather_ not Sirius Black, psychotic killer and Voldemort heir.  
  
Ron raised a hand in greeting but didn't smile. "Hey Mr. Black."  
  
Sirius quirked an eyebrow of his own. "You know, you really can call me Sirius, Ron. Mr. Black makes me feel old."  
  
Ron flushed. "Oh right."  
  
"How did you get in?" Percy asked before he could stop himself.  
  
The other two stared at him. Sirius actually smiled before answering. "Well, not from Neville that's for sure. One of your brothers gave the password to me, though I'll never be able to tell which one."  
  
Ron looked slightly miffed at the memory while Percy was trying not to laugh. How many nightmares had he had about Ron getting stabbed and it turns out that Black had a sense of humor about the whole thing!  
  
"Anyway, I was wondering if you both felt like eating. Dumbledore has set up a meal with the others down in the Great Hall."  
  
Percy nodded and looked over at Ron who paused before nodding also.  
  
"Right, so...." Sirius trailed off when he looked over to Harry's bed. He seemed to forget that Ron and Percy were in the room as he ran a hand lightly over the bed.  
  
"Hello Hedwig, beautiful owl." He softly stroked the snowy owl's feathers as she hooted and blinked sleepily.  
  
He turned to the two Weasleys. "Do you know what the name Hedwig means?"  
  
Ron looked at Percy mystified who was equally confused. Was Black giving them a history lesson?  
  
"She is the patron saint of abandoned and orphaned children. I wonder if Harry knew how appropriate the name was when he gave it to her."  
  
Hedwig ruffled her feathers in a dignified manner before nipping Sirius affectionately on the finger.  
  
"Come on you two, let's head down."  
  
Sirius put an arm around Ron who looked momentarily surprised before he smiled. "I should tell you about some of the stunts James pulled in his Quidditch days, that was a wizard who could fly a broom...."  
  
Percy followed the two, shutting the door to the dormitory behind him. 


	7. Um....at the Table?

Minerva McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore and the Weasley family seemed the only people left in Hogwarts, though all knew that the area was still being examined by aurors and under tight supervision.  
  
Not even Fudge could deny that Harry had been taken, although the information was still being kept strictly under wraps.  
  
Therefore, the mood at the table had been a somber one, until Sirius' and Ron's conversation about his old schooldays had gradually included everyone else present. Lupin was especially helpful with disclosing information on the pair's Hogwarts days.  
  
Although many at the table had felt that they could never laugh again, the antics of the two Marauders was creating quite a stir.  
  
"So then, Sirius gets the bright idea of trying to charm the Fat Lady with his.." *snicker* "suave manner and such."  
  
"Hey, whose job was it to actually _remember_ the password?"  
  
Ron slapped his hand against the table, he was laughing so hard. Hermione was giggling and even Ginny showed some signs of life, although a ghost of a smile seemed all she could manage.  
  
"Well Padfoot, I think it was our esteemed partner, James."  
  
A few smiles faded at the stinging reminder but Lupin merely shook his head fondly. "He probably _did_ remember and just had the excuse of forgetting to watch you make the fool of yourself."  
  
Sirius grimaced, mock anger flashing in his dark eyes. "I did not make a fool out of myself! That oil-based gal was once very sweet on me. I really think she would have let us in too, if that rotten Snape hadn't finally managed to catch up to us and raise enough noise to wake the whole bloody castle."  
  
"A-hem!" Molly Weasley looked at Black sternly, who in turn flushed. "Er, sorry Mrs. Weasley. You kids didn't hear that."  
  
The twins guffawed and elbowed each other before egging Sirius and Remus on for more.  
  
By now, the only two at the long table not smiling were Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore, who both looked quite sober at the mentioning of Snape's name. That professor was conspicuously absent, though in present company perhaps that was not a negative thing.  
  
Sirius was wrapping it up. "Yeah, well she did apologize. She even hit on James and me a couple times, saying that she just had to make it up to us. Eewwww." Sirius shuddered. "What was going to do, give Lily some competition?"  
  
Ron's face was as red as his hair as he gasped for breath. Hermione, sitting next to him, slightly rolled her eyes and began whacking him on the back to help him breathe.  
  
"Yeah, but for some reason my charms are merely wasted on her now."  
  
Lupin gave his old friend an incredulous look. "Maybe if you hadn't slashed her picture you two would be on better terms."  
  
Now it was Sirius' face which was beet-red, with the twins howling with laughter.  
  
All conversation stopped, however, at a sudden ringing noise.  
  
The long table's occupants looked up.  
  
Dumbledore put his goblet down and placed both hands on the table, face very grave as it had been for the past few days.  
  
The sudden silence was eerie.  
  
"As you know, many important efforts have been made to locate Harry since he vanished a few days ago."  
  
"Vanished?!" Lupin shook his head at Black's remark before Dumbledore continued.  
  
"I am truly sorry that I was not able to share with you a great deal of discovered information. Considering how Harry was taken in the first place, utmost secrecy had to be maintained until a plan of some sort could be carried out."  
  
Silence. Ron's chest tightened. He didn't think he wanted to hear what Dumbledore was going to say next.  
  
"The boy's safety was real concern, Voldemort left no doubt as to what would happen to Harry if any efforts were made to rescue him."  
  
At this, a buzz broke out around the table. Black stood up.  
  
"You mean you've heard from that....that...."  
  
"Yes Sirius, he has contacted me. Harry is still alive and comparatively unharmed."  
  
Sirius' face was livid. "Comparatively?!! What the hell does that mean?!"  
  
The rest of the table, however, looked as though a huge weight had been lifted.  
  
Mrs. Weasley began crying into her husband's shoulder as he put an arm around her. "Oh, Harry, thank God!! My dear, sweet Harry"  
  
Ron's hand found Hermione's and they held onto each other as though each was a lifeline. Fred and George nodded and clapped each other on the back, noticeably relieved.  
  
Dumbledore still looked very grave, however, and the others waited for him to continue.  
  
"Again, I am sorry it has taken as long as it has but a very important spy whose presence must remain anonymous needed to wait in order to give me the information I needed."  
  
"Is Voldemort planning to kill Harry?" Sirius asked quietly, his hands shaking.  
  
"Yes, eventually. He has no pity and doesn't care that Harry is only a boy. Before he does that, however, he has some demands."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Demands? What kind of....."  
  
"Quiet please!" Dumbledore held up his hands. "The demands he has are to manipulate us. I have no illusions about him letting Harry go voluntarily. He has...."  
  
Dumbledore paused, looking at Ginny whose white face and quivering lips made her seem like a small child.  
  
"I don't think that the children need to hear this."  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged one horrified look. Percy stood up and grabbed Ginny's hand, leading her gently but forcibly from the Hall.  
  
"But I don't want to go.....what will happen to Harry, I..."  
  
"Come on Ginny, when it's okay again then mum and dad will tell us what we..."  
  
Their voices trailed off. Dumbledore stared at Ron and Hermione, both of whom had stubborn looks on their faces.  
  
"Let them stay, Headmaster. They deserve to hear this more than the rest of us."  
  
"All right Arthur, but what I have to say isn't easy. Voldemort has threatened to torture Harry in some terrible ways if his demands are not recognized and carried through. He has stated that the boy's fate is in our hands, whether he dies peacefully or in torment."  
  
Sirius lowered his head into his hands. Ron had never seen Professor Lupin look so angry. Hermione, still gripping Ron's hand, had large tears streaming down her face.  
  
"What are his demands?" Lupin asked, teeth gritted.  
  
"Absolute recognition. He wants our surrender, by bits and pieces. That is all I will repeat to you."  
  
Dumbledore leaned over, nodded once at Professor McGonagall who looked shaken but determined. His blue eyes were full of fire.  
  
"I have no intention whatsoever of giving in to him. That was why I sent who I did, when I did on such an important mission. I want you all to know that this individual has risked his life to find where Harry is being held and to try and help him......and us."  
  
"Harry was taken out of the castle by a means which I did not anticipate. Dark magic is not something which can be taken lightly and it can take many forms. There is a binding spell of a sort which can be placed on a victim, rendering him unseen and unrecognized by any other form of magic except the one who has placed the spell."  
  
"Wormtail....." The name sounded like a curse coming from Sirius' pale lips.  
  
"Yes Sirius, I believe so. No one else could have managed to breach Hogwarts and even then, it must have taken some time to enter undetected. I believe he placed this binding spell on Harry which temporarily dissolved the wards surrounding the boy. But only for a few hours, the wards are far too strong. This allowed Wormtail, if it was him, to take Harry out of Hogwarts without my knowledge."  
  
Hermione looked rather ill at this revelation. Ron could almost read her thoughts. She knew about this, or had read it somewhere and was now blaming herself for not taking the necessary precautions.  
  
Dumbledore continued. "However, the spell used must have served a dual purpose because I still cannot locate his exact position."  
  
Sirius looked furious once again. "You knew he was alive and you let us worry like that!! How could you?!"  
  
"I am sorry, Sirius. I did not want you to know the boy's current condition, physical or otherwise. I believe it would have made things worse."  
  
"Is he okay?" Ron blurted out without thinking.  
  
Dumbledore looked at him kindly. "Yes Ron, for the moment. He is what you would expect, confused and frightened but not suffering from any true harm."  
  
Sirius' eyes were nearly glowing in his deep sockets. "Where is he?" He asked quietly.  
  
"Underground, in one of Voldemort's stronger holds, not too far from where we are sitting right now."  
  
"Specifics, Headmaster?" Lupin asked, his hands clasped together.  
  
Dumbledore said nothing. His face suddenly contorted for a moment before he looked at them anxiously.  
  
"What is it? Has something happened?" Both Arthur and Molly stood up.  
  
There was a long, drawn-out pause before Dumbledore continued. "All of the adults, follow me. The children should return to their common room, it is for the best and no exceptions."  
  
Ron tried not to look guilty on top of the clutching fear which had hit him. Hermione's face was set once again.  
  
The adults immediately stood up, following Dumbledore, Ron assumed to his office. Ron and Hermione remained sitting, in silence.  
  
It didn't last.  
  
"Ron.....I....I think that something's happened to Harry!!"  
  
Ron gave her an incredulous look. "What was your first clue, Hermione? I thought you were supposed to be smart."  
  
Hermione looked as though he'd struck her. "Don't you snap at me because you're scared Ron Weasley. I'm just as frightened as you are."  
  
Ron looked at her, his face suddenly contrite. "I'm sorry, 'Mione."  
  
"And _don't_ call me that!"  
  
"_Sorry!_ sheesh"  
  
Hermione looked down at her hands, one in Ron's, the other grasping the table so tightly her knuckles were white.  
  
Ron suddenly realized where _his_ hand was and felt his ears burn. "Er...sorry."  
  
"That's all right."  
  
Ron went to pull away but found he couldn't. Something about Hermione's face was pleading with him to stay with her, to keep that small connection. So he did.  
  
"Ron, I can't leave tomorrow knowing that Harry's in danger."  
  
"I know that, but your parents want you safe."  
  
Hermione's bushy hair flew about her face as she shook her head vigorously.  
  
Ron didn't even realized what he was doing until he did it. He gently cupped her cheek in his other hand and turned her face towards his.  
  
"Hermione, I want you to be safe. Don't you think Harry does too? Please don't fight this one."  
  
Hermione, her cheeks slightly red, felt her eyes well up. She also felt strangely disappointed when Ron removed his hand. It had felt so....right, so reassuring.  
  
She knew how gentle and considerate he could be, yet it always surprised her.  
  
Ron sighed and ran a hand through his bright hair. "I suppose, though, that if anyone has a snowball's chance of finding Harry before...."  
  
"Don't say it Ron."  
  
"I wasn't going to. I don't even like thinking it." Ron's white face looked strained and tired. Hermione felt a flash of tenderness when she looked at him. He looked so very sad and vulnerable, in a way.  
  
"How, though? If Dumbledore doesn't know where he is, how are _we_ supposed to find him?"  
  
"Because we're Harry's best friends and we're the luckiest trio of Gryffindors to ever come out of that house."  
  
"Do you have any idea of how corny that sounds?"  
  
"All right, so it's corny. It's also true."  
  
Ron looked at Hermione. "So....any ideas?"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Hermione rubbed her temples, thinking.  
  
"The Invisibility Cloak?"  
  
"I know where Harry keeps it!" Ron looked excited.  
  
"No...what good will it do to be invisible if we don't know where we're going?"  
  
"It might do some good when we get there" Ron said heatedly.  
  
"Yes, but we actually have to _arrive_ there first. What are we supposed to do, Ron? Waltz into You-Know-Who's stronghold, demand Harry and then waltz out without any Death Eaters coming after us?"  
  
Ron looked slightly sick. "Or You-Know-Who himself."  
  
He shook his head suddenly. "You know, I don't care about any of that. We have to find a way Hermione, we _have_ to. It...it could already be too late."  
  
"The Sneakoscope!!"  
  
Ron looked at her as though she'd gone crazy. "Huh?" He said brilliantly.  
  
"It lights up and makes that noise when there's danger around. Dumbledore said that Harry isn't too far from this place. Maybe it could still detect something."  
  
Ron raised his red eyebrow. "Hermione, that's mad. What are we supposed to do, wander around the grounds until it begins to do something? That could take forever and it still wouldn't do any good."  
  
"Do you have any better ideas?" Hermione asked, a huff in her voice. "I'm trying to think of Harry. We don't have a lot of options here!"  
  
Ron stared at her. "You're right, we don't" he said softly. A thoughtful light suddenly came into his eyes. "Hey, isn't the Astronomy Tower a little isolated from the rest of the school?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose so." Hermione tilted her head. "What about it?"  
  
"Just somethin' that's been bothering me since Harry was taken. Unless that rat burrowed through solid brick, there has to be an entry way that would get him underground before he could do much of anything else."  
  
Hermione nodded to show that she was listening.  
  
"Also, Dumbledore said that the binding spell used would only work a few hours, so the quickest route would have to be taken."  
  
Hermione's face nearly matched Ron's. "Ron, I think I know where we should start looking."  
  
"The dungeons?"  
  
"Think bigger." Ron looked crestfallen. "Though well done, that was brilliant deducing."  
  
The red-head grinned at her. "I was thinking where the ground would be lower, softer, but definitely near the dungeons. We could follow it."  
  
"And then what?"  
  
Silence. Neither had thought that far.  
  
"Ron, I don't think Harry is going to be able to help us much. It sounds like Voldemort has him under tight security."  
  
Ron blanched at her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You just said his name!!"  
  
Hermione looked exasperated. "Ron, we were planning on going into his stronghold. I think the name isn't very important anymore."  
  
Ron looked down. "Okay, you're right. Maybe if we had a distraction of some kind, then one of us could sneak in and help Harry?"  
  
"Ron, Harry might not be able to move. He...."  
  
"All right, I understand." Ron looked at her again. "As much as I hate to say it, maybe we should leave it up to those guys." He jerked his thumb in the direction the adults had gone.  
  
Hermione nodded slowly.  
  
Ron looked quite determined. "Still, that's not gonna stop me from at least finding out where Harry is. Maybe we could help that way?"  
  
"So when the Aurors try and get Harry out, Voldemort will have an excuse to kill him."  
  
Ron froze. There was a long, tense pause. "The Invisibility Cloak it is, then."  
  
"Do you realize how stupid this is?"  
  
"You think _this_ is stupid? You were petrified at the time but Harry and I followed a bunch of giant spiders into the Forbidden Forest once."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'll never understand boys."  
  
**************************************************************************** ** 


	8. Harry's predicament and....Snape?

Pain. More than Harry Potter ever thought he could feel. Every pore, every muscle, even his hair throbbed with pain.  
  
His arms were so stiff the slightest movement caused more agony, they had been tied tightly from the very first day he had been brought here. He could barely move anymore. He couldn't see and couldn't speak.  
  
The only time his gag was removed was so that Wormtail could force some vile mixture down his throat and give him stale water twice a day.  
  
The first time it was removed, Harry had tried to ask why Voldemort was even bothering to keep him alive but he got a sharp slap for his trouble.  
  
Sometimes different Death Eaters would torment him, mainly by using the a momentary Cruciatus Curse or simply forcing his poor body to switch positions, causing waves of pain.  
  
Voldemort, however, had not come since the first few hours of his capture. Harry's mind had mercifully blocked most of it out, except for the constant ache in his scar which reminded him of what Voldemort could do.  
  
He was so tired now, tired of trying to get free, tired of fighting against the hopelessness and fear.  
  
Harry's mind processed memories in his precarious position. There were some horrible ones with the Dursleys, but he also thought of his parents. He wondered if they knew where he was, or if they even cared.  
  
He thought of Ron and Hermione, remembering the laughter and good times, as well as some of the bad. He missed them so much it created a separate ache all its own. He also thought of Hogwarts, his house, his friends, his teachers and mentors. He thought of Dumbledore, with his twinkling blue eyes that had always managed to let Harry know that things would work out.  
  
Except they hadn't this time. No one had come for him, no one seemed to care. He was trapped in this living nightmare and his body was slowly giving out on him.  
  
He thought of Sirius. That wasn't something he could do for very long, since he could almost feel his godfather's worry for him coursing through his own body. It bordered on frantic, only someone who had lost nearly everything he loved in the world could experience emotion like that.  
  
Pettigrew's words haunted him and he knew that Sirius would just be sickened. Harry cringed thinking of it.  
  
After his body, what about his soul? Harry hadn't allowed himself to cry, he was stronger than that, but even small things like raising his head were becoming a burden. He felt like giving up, not that it would make much of a difference in his current position anyway.  
  
But still, no one came.  
  
Harry Potter didn't know how much time had passed or what was happening around him. He concentrated all of his energy on easing the pain. He thought about any spells that could help him but Pettigrew had taken his wand so it wasn't much good. He thought about the times he had used magic without a wand, but something about the ropes binding him were stronger than anything he could have done.  
  
How long he continued, lost in his own thoughts he didn't know. But finally, something happened. A voice, a very, very familiar voice.  
  
"Potter" It hissed softly in his ear. Harry stirred listlessly. He knew that.....*Professor Snape?* The young wizard couldn't have spoken even if he wanted to but he felt several emotions course through him at once.  
  
Confusion, anger, reassurance, back to confusion again. It must have shown on his face.  
  
"Honestly, Potter. Just when I think I don't have to save your sorry hide again, your stupidity manages to land you in another fix." Harry blinked indignantly at that.  
  
It wasn't as if he'd _wanted_ this. Snape continued. "I only have a few moments time. I didn't come to warn you, you know of what could happen here. I probably won't be able to get you out, not without exposing something too delicate. And regardless of your ego, Potter, you're not worth taking that risk."  
  
Harry's shoulders slumped. Just when he had thought things couldn't be worse. "Come now, Potter, are you that wretched James' son or not?" The whisper grew more intense. "All I can tell you Potter, is that you haven't been abandoned, so show a little of that overrated Gryffindor courage. I won't let you die boy."  
  
Those final words were whispered in the same disgusted, severe tone, it had never wavered. Yet.....the words themselves. Harry received the shock of his life then. Snape lightly rested a hand on one shoulder and the boy's pain temporarily abated. Harry then felt that he was alone again.  
  
*But not completely alone.* Exhausted and even more confused, Harry drifted off wondering if it had all been a dream after all.  
  
After some time, he was awoken by something. A burning pain in his scar begin to escalate, the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.  
  
The Dark wizard was coming to pay him a visit.  
  
His scar felt like it was on fire when Harry looked up to see Voldemort's blurred shape in front of him.  
  
"Well, well......ssssso this is the fate of the Boy Who Lived. Abandoned by everyone who ever knew him. Famousssss Harry Potter, if only the world could see you now."  
  
Harry didn't have the energy to get angry. He didn't know what good it would do anyway.  
  
One cold hand grasped his hair and pulled his face upwards. Harry gave a muffled gasp of pain and Voldemort's glowing red eyes came close to his.  
  
"Don't you understand Harry? I've won. That weakling Dumbledore and his pathetic followerssss no longer have a chance. They never did. You, their only hope, the great hero Harry Potter will die in a way befitting my enemiessss. An example should we say."  
  
The first blow hit Harry hard enough to knock the breath out of him. He felt blood trickle down his cheek after a few more, then a few more.  
  
"You are only fit to be the sssson of those who died getting in my way."  
  
That got Harry's attention. He turned to Voldemort, even after another blow left him seeing stars, fury in his green eyes.  
  
"It's over Harry Potter. Take what mercy I give gratefully, it is the lasssst thing you will ever know."  
  
With that Voldemort glided away, raising his hand and allowing his rabid Death Eaters to start in on the helpless boy, cursing and beating him until he was unconsciousness.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Whoa!! That was way dark and unexpected for me! My poor Harry!! I don't think I can write another scene like that! It's just too hard....*sniff, sniff* Anyway, I usually don't like asking for feedback but with this story I just need to know whether or not I should finish it and how. I'm open for suggestions but I'm very busy so just let me know.  
  
A couple words of thanks to...well, first to J.K. Rowling. Congradulations on her marriage and everything and anything belongs to her. She's so lucky!! (I take no credit, therefore)  
  
Also, thanks to everyone in the HP fanworld who show that they love Harry and Co. as much as I do. It truly is a good thing. Keep writing everybody, don't let the magic die.  
  
Sorry for the corniness but it needed to be said  
  
Next chapter, Ron and Hermione set out to help their friend, but the plot thickens and some of our favorite Death Eaters come onto the scene. To Draco or not to Draco? That is the question.  
  
Of course, more Weasleys and more Sirius too. Can't get enough.....;-) 


	9. What are friends for?

"Hey, watch it!!"  
  
"_You_ watch it!"  
  
"Ouch!! Ron, why do you have to have such big feet?"  
  
"Hey! I can't help it, I was born that way. Why do _you_ have to have all that hair? It keeps poking me in the eye and getting in my mouth." Ron spit lightly to emphasize his point.  
  
Hermione made a disgusted sound. "Honestly! How can that be? You're too tall for....."  
  
"I know what I'm talking about _Hermione_ and...." Ron cut her off angrily.  
  
Hermione returned the favor. "Hush!!"  
  
Both were silent, taking shallow breaths under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. Gradually the sneakoscope began to faintly light up.  
  
Ron let out a huge breath. "Thank the Snitch! I was getting frustrated."  
  
Hermione quietly watched the sneakoscope in her hand. "I think we should go north-east." She turned the instrument one way, then the other.  
  
Ron just watched her, concern in his hazel eyes appearing when she shivered. "Cold?"  
  
"No" she lied. She met Ron's skeptical gaze and sighed. "All right, a bit."  
  
The red-head nodded. "I know, I'm worried too." Hermione's deep brown eyes met his, a softness appearing.  
  
Ron had a brief thought that her eyes were quite beautiful. They showed her emotions so clearly and....*aaaaackkk!!* He pushed the rest of that thought away in a panic.  
  
Hermione's voice, thickened, pierced through the darkness. "Why would anyone want to hurt Harry? I don't understand. He....he doesn't deserve it."  
  
Ron said nothing, a lump in his throat choking him.  
  
"You know, when I first met him I thought he would be a spoiled, selfish brat with everyone catering to his every whim. I thought school would be a nightmare with him there. That's partly why I was so awful to you both at first. I wanted him to know that he couldn't get away with whatever he wanted around me. I was never so surprised when you both came bursting into that privy to save me from that troll."  
  
Ron snickered. "If it helps, I felt the exact same way when I first met him, except I think I was a little awe-struck...with Harry!" Both grinned at how Harry would react to that. "All I'd heard my whole life is Harry Potter this and Harry Potter that. Well, I was ruddy sick of him, except I still thought of him as this huge star and all-powerful wizard." The red- head snorted. "What a bunch of rot, that."  
  
"I never thought he could be well...cool. He sure didn't look like a star too, with those glasses and messy hair. I remember one of our first conversations was about how his life wasn't so glamorous." Ron shook his head, trailing off. "I knew he was trying to make me feel better and he didn't even know me! I...I think he was lonely. He was really quiet sometimes. Still is...."  
  
Hermione's eyes looked far away. "He's never really unkind, not even when Draco pushes his buttons. It's only when he insults _us_ that I've seen him get really angry.....or when someone speaks badly about his parents." The young witch looked sad all of a sudden.  
  
"Prat" Ron blinked in surprise. Hermione turned on him defensively. "Well, he really is. I mean....sure he's brave but how could he not realize that he's vulnerable? More so than maybe anyone else? He's not untouchable!"  
  
"Stop Hermione, you're upset" Hermione stopped in shock. Ron.....calming _her_ down?! Oh what an upside-down world this was getting to be. She tried to smile but Ron didn't smile back.  
  
"Yeah, so he's not untouchable or the _great_ Harry Potter. You think I haven't been so angry with him sometimes I didn't trust myself to talk to him? You get off easily Hermione, you've got things going for you. But that bloody well doesn't matter! The three of us stick together. I'm only as strong as you both believe me to be, and without that support, I really am just nothing, invisible Ron. I, uh...reckon the same goes for Harry."  
  
It was maybe one of the wisest things Hermione had ever heard Ron say. Her heart constricted and a strong, deep emotion welled up. Tall, gangling Ron Weasley, heart of gold though he did have, was showing his mettle in ways that not even she could have thought. And she had thought of them all.  
  
"Ron......"  
  
"He'd never begrudged me anything Hermione, I can't even say the same for him." The pain and regret in his voice made Hermione's heart bleed for him. She said the only thing she could.  
  
"He cares about you. You're his best friend."  
  
"You too, Hermione. Don't forget that." That shaky feeling had returned to her and she nodded. Ron continued. "He's stood up for you for five years, bragged about you....everything."  
  
Both looked at each other.  
  
"I guess we're both pretty lucky." Hermione wiped a few tears away roughly and nodded again, not trusting her voice.  
  
They stopped walking for a minute. Hogwarts was now barely visible, only a few twinkling lights far in the distance.  
  
The previous tenderness forgotten, both teenagers suddenly realized how tired they both were. No sleep and acute anxiety had taken its toll.  
  
"Hmph!" Ron rubbed his arms. "Still think we should have flown."  
  
Hermione scowled. "And be spotted a mile away? Think Ron! Besides, how would we both fit under the cloak if we needed to hide?"  
  
"Just because _you_ aren't very good at flying...."  
  
Both froze. The sneakoscope had rolled off of Hermione's hand, rolled a few more feet ahead and began making a shrill noise, spinning around.  
  
The same thought hit both. *Uh, Oh!!*  
  
"How are we supposed to shut that thing off, Hermione?" Ron yelled, hands over ears.  
  
She shrugged helplessly, following suit.  
  
Ron, panicking, grabbed the scope and slammed it against a nearby rock, breaking it in half. He breathed a sigh of relief but Hermione scowled.  
  
"Great Ron, _now_ how will we find Harry?"  
  
"Easy Hermione, just.....look....around?" The youngest Weasley brother trailed off uncertainly. There was absolutely nothing around them that pointed to some underground stronghold.  
  
Hermione looked skeptical. "I think that thing was broken all along."  
  
"It was _not_!!" Ron said hotly, flushing. "It worked with that stupid Scabbers, didn't it?"  
  
As if on cue, a twig snapped a short distance away and both teenagers turned, faces white.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Hermione grabbed Ron's hand, who put an arm around her shoulders in response.  
  
"Do....do you think someone heard that thing?" She asked nervously.  
  
After a few more moments of silence, both relaxed but neither moved.  
  
Ron's ears turned slightly red and Hermione quickly changed the subject.  
  
"Ron, are you still jealous of Harry?"  
  
He looked down at her and Hermione looked back, startled. She suddenly realized what Ron would look like in a few years, after trials and life's changes had matured him. He was very handsome and she liked the contrast of mischeviousness with blatant emotion one found in his face.  
  
He rarely hid anything. He didn't now, shaking his head. "No, I mean....well, I still feel like screaming in frustration when I get treated like a piece of furniture around him, but I know it's not his fault."  
  
"_How_ do you know?"  
  
He stared into space for a minute. Hermione got the feeling that he was far away from her and she didn't like it. "He sat me down, before school started this year y'know, and cleared the air." Ron was saddened by the memory.  
  
"He basically said all of the things he admired and liked about me, he wasn't even embarrassed about it. He talked about my house and my family, as well as other things. I..I, um...never knew that he felt so isolated sometimes. He's Harry Potter, everyone loves him and he thought all of that stuff about _me_."  
  
Ron smiled slightly. Hermione could barely see for her tears. She knew that they had to start looking for an entrance right away, or at least get to some adults who could locate Harry quicker than they could. But....for right now, sitting with Ron like this, in close proximity, felt very good. This was the Ron she......cared for. But she still liked the other stuff about him too, definitely. As for Harry.....Hermione only nodded. She understood. She always did.  
  
"All of the times he'd watched my back. He was blind to everything I was always so insecure about........I can be a real idiot but I don't think he cares."  
  
A sniffle from Hermione. Ron shrugged and stretched his long limbs, yawning deeply. "Like I said, we're lucky." His face suddenly changed, became more intense.  
  
"I don't know who would want to hurt Harry, but I know they have to be pretty damn evil. And they won't get away with it." He said fiercely, hands in tight fists.  
  
"I....I wish we could talk to him, or at least see him. I miss him."  
  
"Perhaps I can help you there." Both jumped at the cold voice interrupting them. Low and deep, full of sinister intent. Ron felt his stomach drop down to his ankles. This could be bad.  
  
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Okay, long chapter without much plot direction and for that I'm really sorry. Bear with me, the real fun starts later. Just had to clear the air. What makes HP great? Say it with me now, the trio!! Their friendship. I know that Hermione and Ron will get together, true love fashion. *Sigh* lucky girl, dammit! But I also think that they love Harry just as much and that the three are inseparable. I've never written R/H so that was kind of fun. Sappy emotion stuff, out of the way for now.  
  
On to the next!! 


	10. Let's just keep our fingers crossed, etc...

Hermione felt strong arms grab her from behind, hearing as well Ron's angry exclamation. "Get your bloody hands off of her you....."  
  
He was also being held, arms pinned behind him, face as red as his hair.  
  
Both struggled but the black-robed thugs were much larger and stronger then either of them.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Ron shouted at one. No reply.  
  
"What should we do with 'em?" One grunted, sounding remarkable like Goyle, or was it Crabbe? Or was there even a difference?  
  
"I dunno" another answered dully. "Maybe Malfoy will wanna see 'em."  
  
Hermione looked at Ron with wide eyes, who returned her gaze.  
  
Malfoy. Of course, no surprises there. Draco's father. Ron felt another sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, making him a little sick.  
  
A Death Eater tapped a wand against the very rock Ron had broken the sneakoscope on. Both teenagers were dragged down a narrow, dimly-lit set of steps.  
  
The tunnel's entrance closed seamlessly behind them. This _really_ didn't look good.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
"Well, well, well.....my job just gets better and better." Lucius Malfoy, not bothering with a mask, stood in front of the two frightened Gryffindors.  
  
Both had their arms tied tightly behind their backs and were flanked by two burly Death Eaters.  
  
"So, my ears were not deceiving me." Malfoy's cold eyes fell on Ron. "Only a Weasley could organize such a poor rescue, if you'll excuse the pun"  
  
Ron made a furious sound but said nothing intelligible.  
  
"You've come for your little friend, how sweet."  
  
"Where is he?" Ron demanded.  
  
"I ask the questions here." Malfoy snarled. He stepped closer to the red- head.  
  
"Let's see, Ronald isn't it? Won't your father be surprised to know you're here. Something tells me he had no part in this little plan. I honestly cannot wait until he finds out. I wonder what his expression will be...."  
  
Malfoy's eyes glittered with hate, a malicious smile playing on his lips. "I must have been quite _good_ to get such an unexpected surprise. Oh yes, I can just see how that pathetic Muggle-lover will react."  
  
"Shut up about my dad!" Ron shouted unwisely.  
  
Malfoy slapped Ron hard across the face, causing one Death Eater to hold him up by his bound arms.  
  
"Ron!!" Hermione bit her lip. Malfoy's pale eyes, just like his son's, fell on her.  
  
"And the Mudblood, how appropriate." Hermione didn't answer, especially with Ron's pleading eyes on her.  
  
Malfoy stepped back, his pale face full of evil shadows. "Harry Potter is dead, killed by my master. He lived fourteen years too long but that is remedied."  
  
Hermione couldn't find her voice, she wanted to scream a denial, cry out from the pain, but she knew from Malfoy's cruel smile that that was what he wanted.  
  
Ron didn't even look up, his hair falling over his bruised face. He was shaking, badly. Malfoy's eyes returned to him, an evil gleam in them.  
  
Ron's warm hazel eyes, so different from the Death Eater's, met them. They were terrible but didn't waver. "I don't believe you" He said quietly.  
  
The youngest Weasley boy looked sad, but dignified, standing there. Hermione almost didn't recognize him for a moment.  
  
"Dumbledore, Sirius, everyone....._we_," he nodded at Hermione, "would know if he was dead. You wish he was dead and so does your _master_," Ron spit the word out like it was something foul, "but he's stronger then you and he always has been."  
  
Malfoy stared hard at Ron. So did Hermione. "You're afraid of him." Ron said again, stronger this time.  
  
Malfoy snapped his fingers suddenly and Ron was dragged towards a door near the front of the room.  
  
"I wish to use this one against that Mudblood-loving fool Arthur Weasley. Let's see how brave his son is under torture. Kill the girl, she is of no use to me."  
  
"NO!!!" Ron screamed, face panicked. Hermione stood, her back straight.  
  
She wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction of showing her fear. She did feel a dull pain when she looked at Ron's frantic expression, however. She realized something in that moment, something she'd always known but would now, never be able to say.  
  
She struck a brave if pathetic figure against the huge Death Eater behind her. Ron willed himself not to panic further.  
  
Hermione's life hung in the balance and he....well, he could _not_ give in! It was a chess game, that's all and Malfoy was his opponent.  
  
He could outmaneuver him but the stakes were terribly high. "Let her go and I......"  
  
"You're bargaining with me?" Malfoy's cruel laugh echoed in the room. "What could you possibly have that I would want, you miserable gutter rat?"  
  
"I'll tell you how you can find my dad. You don't even know how to locate him, with the wards, or else you would have gloated already about Harry. You said you wanted to see his expression more than anything else."  
  
Hermione's look of disbelief turned to shock. Malfoy's face was cold but calculating.  
  
"How do you know I could not just as easily find a way myself? After all, killing her is just an added bonus in an already pleasant day."  
  
Ron couldn't think for a moment he was so infuriated. *No!!* He had to stay calm, couldn't let Malfoy's goading get to him. *Like father, like son I guess*  
  
"I know that you and your family," a look of serious distaste crossed Ron's face, "feel about mine. Like I said, you would've gloated already. I can make it very simple for you." Ron had never hated himself more than at this moment.  
  
He would be causing his mum, his dad, more pain and fear but he had no choice. Like he's once said to his two dearest friends, sometimes sacrifice was just a part of chess.  
  
"No Ron!!" Hermione's shrill voice cut through his thoughts.  
  
"Shut up!" Malfoy hissed viciously. He turned back to Ron. "Give me the exact location and how I can contact your father and we will see about the Mudblood." The twisted doppelganger actually grinned.  
  
"No," Ron held firm, "let her go, _then_ we negotiate." Malfoy looked furious, a war waging inside of him concerning the two things he detested most in the world.  
  
Another glance at Ron decided the battle. "All right, but I want you, Mudblood," Hermione glowered, " to tell Dumbledore's cronies the news about Harry Potter. Tell your precious community that the brat died like a sniveling coward, crying and pleading on his hands to knees to my master."  
  
That was too much. Hermione had never hated anyone like she hated Lucius Malfoy right now.  
  
"Liar!!" Ron bellowed, earning another backhand. He tasted blood. Hermione's eyes were full of tears as Ron watched Malfoy mutter a spell and wave his wand at her. She disappeared.  
  
Malfoy turned his attention back to Ron. "Let's go brat." Ron kicked and struggled as the Death Eater pulled him along. He could only guess it was the first generation of Crabbe/Goyle.  
  
Still, his head was swimming. *Stupid!!* his thought kept crying out at him. He had stupidly gotten himself into another mess and now even Harry.....  
  
Ron's thoughts paused. He felt sick until he forcibly reminded himself. *Harry _isn't_ dead, he _is NOT_ dead. No! Voldemort needs him too much still.*  
  
Ron was too distracted to realize that he'd actually thought the name without flinching as Malfoy dragged him in front of a huge fireplace.  
  
"All right boy, where is he?"  
  
"Hogwarts, probably in the Gryffindor Common Room."  
  
"Don't toy with me maggot, what is the spell to contact him, specifically? I can sense the wards his feeble magic used on you, what is the tracking spell for them?"  
  
Ron racked his brain, sweating under Malfoy's hard gaze. He didn't want to remember but he was even more afraid of the consequences if he didn't. He wasn't sure about Hermione just yet. Finally, it came to him and he muttered it to Malfoy who wasted no time lighting the fire.  
  
Ron squeezed his eyes shut, dreading what was about to happen. The fire roared, turning green before Arthur Weasley could be seen through the flames.  
  
His face had more lines and looked more anxious then the last time Ron had seen it. The red-head didn't want to think about why.  
  
A look of shock passed over his father's face, followed by deep suspicion as he recognized, "Malfoy, how did you get a hold of..."  
  
"I would hold your tongue, Arthur." Malfoy sneered. "I have something I think belongs to you." He snapped his fingers and Ron was dragged forward into view.  
  
A sickened look of disbelief passed over Arthur Weasley's face followed by fear. "Ron?" he asked softly.  
  
"Why yes, I think it is." Malfoy was enjoying himself. "You really should keep better track of that hutch of yours. Of course, I could see how it would be difficult."  
  
Arthur's fight to remain calm could be seen on his face. "Let him go, Malfoy, he's just a boy. You're heading straight for a long Azkaban stay."  
  
"I don't think so" Malfoy said easily. "Your wonderful Harry Potter has gone missing and now, see how quickly things fall apart in the wake!" Without warning he pointed his wand at Ron. "Crucio!"  
  
Ron had never felt pain like it before, he was aware of every nerve, every fiber of his body, it hurt too much to even scream, even think. Finally he was released, vaguely aware of his dad's yells for Malfoy to stop.  
  
He could barely stand but was roughly pulled to his feet again. "Want to see more Arthur? Or should I just end it right here?"  
  
Arthur's fists were clenched, his breathing ragged. "I'll kill you Malfoy, if you touch another hair on his head."  
  
"You are hardly in a position to threaten me. I hold the boy's life in my hands. It's a pleasing thought, one less Weasley in the world. I doubt you'll even notice."  
  
Arthur suddenly slumped, his face haggard. "Please Lucius, he's my youngest son......I'm begging you."  
  
Malfoy smiled hideously. "What an interesting idea. Beg me for his life if you ever wish to see him alive again."  
  
Malfoy held Ron close to the flames. Arthur met his son's eyes for a moment. "Malfoy..." He said weakly.  
  
"Do it" Malfoy's wand was against Ron's head.  
  
"I'm begging you, please, what do you want?" Arthur's tone was beyond pleading. Ron grit his teeth, sickened at all of this. His good-natured, easy-going father put through all this....this couldn't be happening.  
  
"Dumbledore's surrender. You have six hours. Remember Weasley, no spell brings back the dead...."  
  
"Dad I'm......"Ron was cut off from saying how sorry he was. The last thing he saw was his father's head in his hands. Malfoy turned on him.  
  
"Sorry? How touching. You will be sorry, _Ron_, when we are through with you. Just like your little friend."  
  
Malfoy stared at Ron a long minute who refused to meet his gaze. "Not resentful, are you Weasley? Perfect Potter and you. Always in that order, isn't it? Aren't you glad the brat is dead and out of the way? No nothing can stand in the way of _your_ fame, though I fear it will be small consolation for you after we're done."  
  
Ron was shaking with anger. "No more placating him, no more of the faithful lap dog routine."  
  
~Yes~ Ron felt dizzy suddenly. ~Yes, it's true, all true. Agree with him.~ "Yes" he said dazedly. "No!!" Snapping out of it suddenly, Ron glared daggers at Lucius who snapped his fingers again, motioning for the other Death Eaters, silent as always, to follow him.  
  
All of the old anger, old resentment coursed through Ron, like a bitter memory he had forced himself to forget. *It's Malfoy, or Voldemort...not you!! Don't give in!! Think about Harry, what about Hermione? Or Ginny, or Mum and Dad? Can't give in!!*  
  
Malfoy smirked. "Fight it all you wish, Weasley, my master's power can easily eclipse you and Potter's. I would simply give in."  
  
"NO!!" Ron's enraged yell echoed in the dark corridor.  
  
Malfoy shook his head mockingly. "Such a pity. Best to be careful or you'll end up like Potter. Ah, here we are." A huge, heavy-looking door swung open. Ron could feel the magic surrounding it and he suddenly knew what was behind it. Harry.  
  
Looking inside, the red-haired boy was more horrified than he had ever been before. Bound to a pole in the center of a huge room, gagged and unmoving, was his best friend.  
  
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Aaacckkk! Another long chapter. I _hate_ Malfoy, but he's not as easy as Voldemort to write. Voldie would've just killed poor 'Mione. And speaking of which, where is she? What about those at Hogwarts? What will happen? Do you even care? (Ok, don't answer that last one) Stay tuned. 


	11. The trials of one are shared by all.....

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This chapter and those following it are dedicated to all of you who posted, thank you very much. I write for the love of HP but feedback sure ain't bad either! ;-)  
  
A special thanks to Silver, whose enthusiastic feedback has convinced me to continue writing this fic, despite various assignments and books here at school that have been calling my name. Just Kidding, thanks again and keep writing!  
  
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Darkness. It was like a sodden blanket, pushing down on her. She could barely breathe, yet could hear her own tortured gasps.  
  
Something was happening. There had been a light, a strange weightless sensation then....only this blackness.  
  
*Where am I?* The question was asked again. Fear was closing in on her, making the usually level-headed girl panic.  
  
*Harry? Harry, where are you?* Harry was gone, in need of serious help himself. She had failed him and now she would probably never see him again.  
  
~Your fault~  
  
*What? NO! I didn't know...couldn't have warned him...oh, please let him be all right! Please*  
  
~You failed Weasley as well, your fault.~  
  
Hermione shook her head, her fear growing. In the darkness the voice whispered to her, lied to her but....it seemed so close to the truth. Perhaps it _was_ the truth.  
  
*No! Think Granger, keep calm, need to keep calm*  
  
~Know-it-all, Mudblood, Know-it-all, Mudblood. She's a complete nightmare, I'm telling you. No wonder she hasn't got any friends.~  
  
Time hadn't diminished the pain of that memory. *Ron, oh Ron...how could you have said that?*  
  
~He hates you. They both hate you. Nothing but a goody-goody. Did you honestly think that they would ever care about you? Wretched, buck- toothed, bushy-haired Mudblood.~  
  
Hermione gave a deep sob, placing her hands over her ears. Still the voice came, she couldn't block it out.  
  
In the darkness it seem to echo. ~Ron, probably being tortured, your fault....Mudblood. And Harry probably dead....cursing both of you. Some friends, truly. There is no such thing for you.~  
  
Hermione thought of Ron, her heart breaking. His vibrantly red hair, large grin, even those freckles.....she...she couldn't lose him!  
  
*Ron....Harry....where are you? Help me!!* Hermione shook her head, willing the voice to leave her in peace.  
  
~Foolish Mudblood. They can't help you, give in....you know what I say is true. Give in, Give In To It!~  
  
Hermione felt her last vestiges of self-control slip away. *Yes, yes...it's over....I just want it all to be over.*  
  
~Give in....spared your life for one reason. Potter is dead, his red- headed friend well on his way. Use what feeble gifts you have and give your mind over to me....~  
  
Hermione felt an invasive cold come over her. She didn't feel.....quite like herself.  
  
She felt far away suddenly, letting the voice whisper it's evil to her. All that mattered was the voice, telling her the truth, the only truth left.  
  
At that moment, a silver memory bubble came to her.  
  
Ron, Harry and herself, walking back from Herbology. It was spring and a sweet breeze lifted her hair off of her shoulders. She remembered everything so vividly. The warm sunshine and Harry and Ron smiling at her. They were joking with each other, clapping each other on the back and Harry kept pulling faces at her, cajoling her not to be so serious. He would wiggle his glasses and muss up his already wild hair, prompting giggles from herself and Ron. Light reflected off of the lake and Ron's hair, making it impossibly bright. Ron grabbed her about the waist and swung her around, ignoring her pleas amongst her laughter. He then set her down, both of them grinning at Harry who was clutching his side. Ron was so gentle sometimes and Hermione barely felt him set her down. He then smoothed down her hair, which was even bushier than usual thanks to him. She smiled at him and he returned the gesture. He was so sweet when he was being decent, and Harry looked very content watching them.  
  
The memory slipped away, leaving Hermione no recollection as to when it had been. She only knew that it was real. It was real and the lies the cold voice in the darkness was telling her were not.  
  
*Lies....I _don't_ believe you. You can't win......and I think you know it.* Hermione wasn't even sure who the thought was directed at, but she was no longer afraid.  
  
With a snap Hermione came back to the darkness. She wasn't afraid of it any more, however. Feeling dizzy and slightly nauseous, the young witch began to take stock of where she was.  
  
Wherever Ron and Harry were, she had to find them before it was too late. Bitterly Hermione wished for her wand, having no idea now of where it was but she didn't have it and wishing for it wouldn't make it appear.  
  
She began feeling her way around the slime-coated walls of her prison. She had to find help, somehow. 


	12. Sacrifices

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This chapter dedicated to Voxmaille, a terrific writer. Any references to the similarities and friendship (And that is _all_ it is folks, ewwww, come _on_ now...personally, I kind of think that Remus' and Sirius' closeness could maybe be something else, but for now it's just deep friendship) between Lupin and Hermione is thanks to her. Uh, shameless fic title explanation here...ok, back to business. Keep writing Voxmaille, want to read more!  
  
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Remus Lupin stirred, raising his head off of his desk. He and Sirius Black were in his old office, attempting to get some sleep by order of Dumbledore.  
  
They would both need their strength for what they were about to do. Still....Remus couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had happened. And someone needed his help.  
  
He shook his head to clear it and glanced over at Sirius. Black had circles under his eyes but at least he was attempting to get some sleep. Remus felt a stab of deep pity, aimed not only at his old friend but himself. Marauder's misery......  
  
Admonishing himself, Lupin stood up. Oddly enough, the feeling he had only became stronger. Remus was getting concerned. Why couldn't he place it? He thought back to something important he could have missed, his mind going back over the meeting that he and Sirius had just come back from......  
  
"Headmaster? What's happened?!" Molly's frantic voice caused her husband to put an arm around her shoulders.  
  
Bill and Charlie Weasley both looked terse. Lupin was a bit surprised to see it. He didn't know how close they had been to Harry, or even if they knew him too well. Yet they were here.....and for that Lupin felt strangely grateful.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes had completely lost their characteristic twinkle. "Voldemort had done what I've feared and thrown Harry to his wolves."  
  
Sirius' fists clenched as Molly gasped. "No! Is....Dumbledore, is he....?"  
  
"No, Voldemort still needs him. We can no longer afford to wait. A plan, of course, has already been formed, but I need all of your help and _no arguments_ about each of your roles."  
  
Each nodded, faces serious. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"There are aurors already in place outside of Voldemort's stronghold and I have no disillusions as to how much he knows. He also realizes an important truth, that I will not risk Harry's life and so he still believes that his plan is secure."  
  
"What plan, exactly?"  
  
"To punish us by punishing Harry. After all, for someone as symbolically, as well as literally, important as Harry, kidnapping and killing him makes a statement about Voldemort's restored power that nothing else can."  
  
Silence.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes turned on Lupin who squirmed uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what was coming next.  
  
"Remus, you remember when you first came to Hogwarts what I told you about your affliction?"  
  
Charlie and Bill exchanged a quick glance....Lupin saw it.  
  
Gulping, he nodded. "Yes Headmaster."  
  
"The true problem lies in entering Voldemort's terrain undetected. Only dark magic can penetrate without raising an alarm or simply being repelled, depending on the levels of light magic entering."  
  
Now Lupin didn't _want_ to know what was coming next. Sirius didn't look too happy about where the conversation was headed either.  
  
"That was another reason why Voldemort used a particular binding spell on Harry. The boy's magic would have caused serious disruption before the Dark Lord could have remedied it. I have only learned this from our insider."  
  
"You mean Snape, don't you? I mean, we all know who it is, Headmaster, you can just come out and say it." Sirius' tone was almost confrontational and Dumbledore turned on him with a slight frown.  
  
"Security still has to be considered Sirius. Suffice it to say that he has done his job admirably, though much more still needs to be done. Harry, also, cannot know the role Severus is playing in all of this, for his own safety in case he is interrogated" Dumbledore turned back to Lupin who felt rather sick at the last revelation.  
  
"Remus, I must ask you to do something more difficult than you may have ever done." Lupin nodded once, not looking at Sirius, who looked anxious.  
  
"As a werewolf, you have dark magic flowing in your veins, albeit involuntarily. You can enter through Voldemort's shields undetected. Professor Snape knows what to do on his part, it is up to you to do something much more difficult."  
  
A very pregnant pause. No one seemed to know what to say. Except Remus. "You need me to distract Voldemort as Severus frees Harry?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
Lupin didn't even pause. "I'll do it."  
  
Sirius exploded. "What!! No! No bloody way!! That's like committing suicide...Headmaster, you can't possibly ask this! There has to be another way!"  
  
"I will be honest with you Sirius. If we do not get Harry by tomorrow, he will die. That is all there is to say."  
  
Sirius seemed to lose all of his fire at this. He looked at Lupin who uncomfortably glanced back.  
  
Dumbledore continued to speak, almost as if Sirius' outburst hadn't happened.  
  
"The spell Voldemort has on Harry is performed on objects that are then used _against_ the wizard or witch. ^Vinculum Catena^ The only way to break it is for someone who shares a particular, ahem, _bond_ with Harry, and no it doesn't have to be through blood..." the old wizard interrupted Arthur before he could speak, "to use a counter-spell. I will repeat it, but the exact words are ^Vinculum nodius otiosus sustinea^"  
  
Several confused glances came his way. Charlie Weasley whistled softly. "That's quite a mouthful, Headmaster. What exactly does it mean?"  
  
Dumbledore actually smiled. "It is simply a play on words, used to our benefit. Voldemort often overlooks the simplest of solutions, simply because the counter-spell's power is beyond his understanding."  
  
The aged wizard then turned to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Molly, Arthur, take your oldest sons, and remain in the castle. I'm depending on you to watch it's gates as our team of aurors will have their hands full, not only on the outskirts of Voldemort's stronghold, but elsewhere. Myself, and many others, will have the unpleasant task of luring the Dark Lord's Death Eaters out so that we can get Harry out."  
  
Molly, Arthur, Charlie and Bill nodded. It would have been comical any other time as the four's equally red hair and serious expressions matched each other's perfectly.  
  
"As for your twins, I suggest they do a little stealth work to ensure no one can enter the castle the way Pettigrew managed to when everyone else is distracted. After all, I'm sure no one knows Hogwarts better." Dumbledore's characteristic twinkle was finally back and Molly shook her head ruefully at the truth of that statement.  
  
"Ginny, Ron and Hermione will remain in their common room. Under no exceptions should they leave. I would tell young Percival, understand?" Arthur chortled. If anyone could ensure those three stayed there, Percy could.  
  
"Now Arthur, I must ask you....the wards placed on your children, were they successful?"  
  
"Yes Headmaster, though it wasn't easy to cast them. They only actual repel dark magic if Ron or anyone else was forcibly taken and then, only in the company of another family member. It sounds odd, but the spell's usefulness lies in its tracking abilities."  
  
Here, Molly cut in. "With Ron's previous record, not to mention the twins' we thought it best to be able to track them, even if it seemed the spell had some faults to it."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, seemingly satisfied. "We...we w-were going to cast it on Harry as well. Right before...." Molly's voice shook and Bill grasped his mum's shoulder tightly.  
  
"We leave in the morning."  
  
The words echoed in Lupin's mind, as did his and Sirius' shouting match right after.  
  
Remus had only guessed at Sirius' fury and it hadn't even come close to the reality. No matter how he had tried to explain it to Black, his old friend had remained stubbornly unmovable...except on one matter.  
  
"Padfoot...."  
  
"Cork it, _Moony_ you pulled this 'life of a werewolf' angst in school and it wasn't convincing then! Now you think you can convince everyone that you need to play the noble hero and sacrifice yourself, just because you happened to be bitten?"  
  
Sirius' face was a deep red. Remus could feel his own anger building but his voice remained quiet, as it had for as long as Sirius had known him and had seen him actually lose his temper. Which wasn't very often.  
  
"I'm not asking you for permission old friend. I'm doing this, with or without your support. And I'm only doing it for one reason. You weren't the only one who loved James and Lily."  
  
Sirius' mouth fell open. The words hung in the air between the two. Remus ran a hand tiredly over his face.  
  
"I'm doing this for Harry, Sirius. He needs us....you...you know, you aren't the only one who felt as though he failed James. I left Harry in his fourth year and all hell broke loose. It probably would have happened whether I'd been there or not...but the point is that I abandoned him, Padfoot. And I had to live with that. Harry got hurt, almost killed. I can't live with the thought that I let it happen again."  
  
Sirius didn't seem to know what to say. Remus turned from him to gaze forlornly out the window. "You really don't understand what it's like, do you Sirius? Feeling as though your life is worthless and that you've caused more pain than happiness for those around you. Finally...I can use this damn curse to do something good."  
  
Sirius placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Remus.....I love Harry, I know you do too. I can't imagine life without him."  
  
Lupin turned around, eyes still steady and calm, radiating strength. Sirius had always admired that about him, his quiet stability and integrity. Even when they had been at their marauding worst, he had possessed it.  
  
And people said that werewolves were inherently evil. They had no idea of what they were talking about....or they had never met Remus Lupin.  
  
Black's voice was unsteady. "But I can't imagine life without you either, Moony. James is gone, and forgive me for sounding mushy, but I can't lose someone else.....especially..um..."  
  
Remus clapped Sirius on the back. "Padfoot, you said earlier that there was nothing you wouldn't give to Voldemort to save Harry."  
  
The words weren't lost on Black. His dark eyes looked for something far away when he answered. "Maybe I lied."  
  
"No, you didn't, I know you."  
  
"Yeah, you do."  
  
Nothing more could have been said, and so it wasn't. They understood and it was enough.  
  
Both then jumped sky-high when the door to Lupin's office slammed open. Bill Weasley stood there, looking ghastly.  
  
Both Remus and Sirius gaped openly at the younger man's expression. "Meeting.....now. Dumbledore's office."  
  
"But...we just came from..."  
  
"NOW!!" Bill cut off Sirius' protests savagely. Lupin and Black didn't hesitate any longer but ran out, following the eldest Weasley.  
  
Remus caught a glimpse of Molly sobbing into Arthur's shoulder as they followed Bill down to Dumbledore's office entrance. Arthur himself looked quite the worse for wear, eyes deadened and pallor a sickly grey. With a sinking feeling, the former professor tried to understand.  
  
A flashback came to him, of a much younger Arthur, fourth son in a large family. That trademark red hair and broad grin, a great deal like the twins.  
  
Although Remus hadn't known him very well in school, as Arthur had been slightly older, he remembered the good-natured wizard as being much like his second-eldest in temperment. Good-natured and dedicated to what he loved, even if it was Muggles.  
  
As for Molly, it had been love at first sight, even though she had dumped pudding on Arthur's head for being so clueless as to how the two felt about each other. Remus chortled at the memory in spite of himself. That had been his first year at Hogwarts.  
  
But now....something was very, very wrong.  
  
Sirius exchanged a worried glance with him as the group once again assembled in Dumbledore's office. The venerable old wizard looked even graver than before and Lupin wondered briefly at Dumbledore's strength to handle what he did for the wizarding world.  
  
Molly spoke first. "The twins are with Ginny. Only the two of them could keep her from coming with us.....and they needed each other right now, for support." The woman's lips trembled slightly. Remus got the feeling that she was hanging on by a single thread.  
  
Lupin suddenly noticed who else was with them. Percy. The former Head Boy looked as though he had been beaten, emotionally. Though his glasses hid his eyes quite well, his face...well, Remus could think of no words to describe it.  
  
It was so set, so stiff....but it was frighteningly vulnerable. Deep- seated fear could be seen in Percy's posture, his expression, everything.  
  
Sirius grabbed Percy's shoulder. "Are you all right?" He asked softly, concern in his voice. Remus was surprised. He didn't know that the two knew each other that well. The only real connection the two probably had was......  
  
Understanding hit Lupin like a bolt of lightning. *Ron......Ron's missing. Hermione too. Oh God....this was...no, oh no.*  
  
"Ron" Percy's raspy voice was at odds with his wooden self-control. It was unsettling. Dumbledore spoke quietly.  
  
"Minerva is owling the Ministry as we speak, informing them of this new turn of events. Arthur?"  
  
Mr. Weasley looked up and nodded, heading to the small, lopsided fireplace found in Dumbledore's office. Lupin wondered what he _didn't_ have up here.  
  
"Invenio Gravis Ronald Arthur Weasley" Absolute stillness as the flames sparked to life and turned the expectant green. The fire suddenly flickered and Remus felt a sinister presence envelop them all. This didn't bode well.  
  
The flames turned a deep reddish-purple and a hooded, masked figure was all that could be seen through them.  
  
"Well, that was quicker than I thought. Come to a decision, Arthur?"  
  
Arthur Weasley looked haunted but managed to keep his voice calm. "We need more time. Where is Ron?"  
  
A triumphant cackle was heard. "Really? More time to do what? You don't honestly think that you can penetrate my master's defenses? As for your son, he lives and you should be grateful for it. He is a very tiresome boy and killing him may be just the release I need after spending only a few minutes with him."  
  
Molly gasped in spite of herself. Sirius looked furious and Lupin wondered at the man's evil. Threatening children....what a world.  
  
Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "Lucius, what do you hope to accomplish by all of this.?"  
  
If the Death Eater was surprised by Dumbledore's remark, it couldn't be seen....or heard in his voice. "Lucius? You mean Malfoy? Why Headmaster....isn't his son one of your best pupils, excelling in your miserable school? How could you possibly accuse him of doing this?"  
  
"The son isn't the father. You of all people should know that."  
  
Finally, a reaction. The voice snarled back. "You cannot possibly think to fool my master, or me, by stalling. Your time is now down to five hours, then the boy dies. Think on it." Then, the Death Eater was gone.  
  
Dumbledore turned to his companions. "I believe we have a change in plans."  
  
  
  
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	13. Discovery and planning

"What's the matter Hermione? Do we need to stop, do you want to come down, do we need to go to a library?" Ron- Harry Potter and the God's Gift  
  
A terrific story, if only it would be completed! Also, Cairnsy's Survival 1/3. Aaarrgghhh! Ah well. Here we go, Pt. 2  
  
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"Harry!!" Ron's voice echoed in the large room, cracking with emotion.  
  
Harry was covered with bruises and a trickle of dried blood could be seen on his cheek, as well as his scar.  
  
His thin arms and legs were tied with thick, black ropes and Ron could see where the skin was bruised and broken from long hours of being held in that position.  
  
For a second, Ron couldn't breathe. He felt sick and dizzy. Malfoy hadn't been lying after all. Harry _looked_ dead.  
  
*No....no, no, no* The mantra of denial kept going through the Weasley boy's head. "No, please....Harry?" Ron's voice broke again.  
  
Malfoy's evil face almost shown in dark pleasure. He was enjoying this, the bastard. Their suffering......Ron suddenly wished he had his wand more than anything else. It was the only time in his life when he wished for the ability to use an Unforgivable on this foul creature.  
  
Then....Harry Potter stirred. A flicker of recognition, followed by terror, crossed his face though his eyes were unfocused.  
  
Then those green eyes widened in shock. Ron was too relieved to move, not that he had much of a choice. His best friend was alive.  
  
"Remove the gag." Malfoy snapped coldly, grabbing Ron's arms to hold him back.  
  
A complying grunt was all the burly Death Eater said before doing Lucius' bidding.  
  
Harry stretched his jaw before attempting to speak, even then all he could manage was a very hoarse-sounding "Ron?"  
  
His voice obviously hadn't been used in awhile.  
  
Harry's eyes stared uncertainly in front of him. "The hair....knew I, r- recognized it." The dark-haired boy slumped from exhaustion, spent from even that small bout of energy.  
  
Ron was shaking with fury and tried to wrench away from Malfoy. All he got was a cuff to the back of his head for his trouble.  
  
Lucius spoke up. "This is very touching, but I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news, Potter. Your fate will be decided by my master but young Weasley's is already set in stone. I just wanted you to know how enemies of my lord pay, but you probably had a good idea from your parents."  
  
Harry's fear increased tenfold at this remark. "Wait....No! You don't want....wait, Malfoy!!" The young wizard's voice was still very weak, though he tried to shout. It was too late however, Malfoy was dragging Ron away.  
  
"Harry, don't worry about me!! Or Hermione....don't worry!!" Ron's voice grew more distant and Harry fought down the panic welling up inside of him.  
  
"RON!!"  
  
The prison door slammed with finality. Harry's head slumped for a moment before he began fighting again with renewed energy. He would find a way out of this....he had to, and not just for his sake any longer.  
  
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"Let go you slimy piece of..." Ron fell to the floor with the force of Malfoy's slap. A trail of blood trickled down his chin and he glared at the Death Eater with hatred in his eyes.  
  
"Now Ron, why waste such colorful vocabulary on me? I would save your breath, brat, and take into consideration what kind of position you are in. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to strike you down now but I'll wait until your precious father can see it."  
  
"You know that Dumbledore is going to stop all of you, don't you?" Malfoy grabbed Ron's hair and pulled him up.  
  
Ron winced in spite of himself but didn't turn away from Lucius' cold gaze.  
  
"Dumbledore? That doddering old fool? He couldn't prevent James and Lily's deaths, could he? Nor did he stop us from taking Potter. You and your vermin family have always followed that weakling."  
  
Ron didn't reply, even as Malfoy roughly shoved him into a small room. The red-head landed painfully against the far wall.  
  
"Now, it is over. I warned your father, I warned him long ago not to cross me. But he saw fit to try and accuse me, _me_ , in front of the entire wizarding community of being disloyal. As though they would believe a ragamuffin like that."  
  
Ron flushed angrily and opened his mouth to retort but he was cut off by Malfoy's continued tirade.  
  
"When my master was gaining power, that pathetic excuse for a wizard tried to stop him. He did stop me, humiliated me, all for the sake of trying to save a few worthless Muggles and their Mudblood offspring. I swore that I would make him suffer and I truly meant it. What was he next to me? No money, in a worthless occupation. More brats than he could count. I told him I would destroy his family and make him watch......"  
  
Finally, Malfoy's frigid gaze returned to Ron who backed away in spite of himself. "Thank you for the opportunity, I won't waste it."  
  
The door slammed and Ron was left alone.  
  
"My dad always knew about you!!" He finally shouted after the Death Eater, but all he heard in reply was the constant dripping in the cold, underground passages.  
  
Gritting his teeth, Ron racked his brain for a way out of this mess. His stomach twisted with anxiety. Hermione....Harry....who knew what would happen to both of them?  
  
Ron didn't trust Malfoy for a moment and, setting his jaw stubbornly, he began working on undoing the ropes binding his hands behind his back. He would a way to get them all out of this......  
  
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"Finally!" With a twist of his wrists, the ropes fell away and Ron rubbed his now raw and bleeding hands, gingerly.  
  
How many hours he had been working on this he didn't know, the passage of time was impossibly to decipher down here, but he knew he didn't have much time left if Malfoy was as good as his threat.  
  
Standing up, Ron glanced around the room, trying to find any kind of escape route. None appeared immediately so the Weasley boy began inspecting the door.  
  
He pushed against it. Nothing. Growing frustrated, he pounded at it with his fist. Yelping in pain, he cursed rather eloquently.  
  
"Really Weasley, can't you think of anything more constructive to do?"  
  
Ron froze. He knew that voice. In fact, he would be hard pressed to ever forget it. It was a low, sinister whisper, familiar.  
  
"P-Professor Snape?"  
  
"Shut up, Weasley! I don't know how you got yourself into this mess but you have just made Dumbledore's entire plan more difficult, if not impossible now to carry out."  
  
Ron flushed. "What are _you_ doing here? How do I know you're not just working for Malfoy?"  
  
"You don't, except you really have little choice except to trust me."  
  
*Trust Snape!!* Ron felt like an already bad situation had just been turned on its head. This was just great....oh boy.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
A long-suffering sigh on the other side of the metal door. "What is it, Weasley?"  
  
"Do you know anything about Hermione?"  
  
Silence for a long, tense moment. Ron felt his breath catch in his throat.  
  
"Granger is safe, though perhaps a little dazed from the Dark Lord's magic on her."  
  
Ron felt himself tense. He knew how that felt. Hermione.......  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"She is being held in another room much like yours. Why she is being held, I do not know."  
  
"What's going to happen? Does Professor Dumbledore have a plan?"  
  
"He _did_, boy, until you and Granger so stupidly decided to disobey orders, _yet again_"  
  
Ron scowled, feeling a stab of guilt but also, anger, that Snape was actually right.  
  
"It isn't you two the Dark Lord wants, you have placed Harry in even more danger."  
  
Ron's stomach twisted with anxiety. "What's going to happen to him?"  
  
No reply.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
"Quiet! I'm only going to say this once, Weasley, stay in here and do not say a word to anyone about this conversation. I'm telling you right now this isn't some foolish little school game. This is life and death. If you would like your two friends, not to mention yourself, to ever see daylight again, stay absolutely silent until I come back for you. There are few, if any chances to come out of this alive and I will _not_ waste an opportunity on any one of you three yet, understand?"  
  
Quiet footsteps were heard and Ron again got the feeling he was alone.  
  
"Not like I have much of a choice anyway."  
  
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	14. The Rescue

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"You are _not_!!"  
  
"Moony, remember in school all of those people who told me what I could and could not do?"  
  
"That is beside the point and don't _bloody well_ change the subject!!"  
  
Sirius blinked in shock. He hadn't heard Remus swear for a very long time and certainly not like that. Lupin must have been exceptionally angry.  
  
Still, Black stubbornly set his jaw. "I'm going with you and there is nothing you can do about it. So, either except it or deal with a tag a long because either way, I'm going down there too."  
  
The erstwhile professor grasped his friend's elbow and pulled him aside. "Padfoot....what about Harry? _When_ we get him out...if something happens....and I'm praying no, but _if_ something does, to the both of us....what about him?"  
  
That struck a nerve. Sirius ran a hand through his shoulder-length dark hair and sighed raggedly. "I have to do something, Moony. I can't just sit here and wait for Harry to come back, I'll go mad. And I'm not letting you go down there without some backup.  
  
"Headmaster!! Talk some sense into this prat, please!"  
  
A large group of various wizards and witches had assembled in what looked like a non-discreet area some distance away from Hogwarts.  
  
A white, shimmering line near the group let everyone know, however, that this was no ordinary piece of land.  
  
It was protected by magic. Dark magic which the team of Aurors, headed by Mundungus Fletcher, dared not penetrate. Voldemort had threatened Harry's immediate death if they did so and many, if not all, took the Dark wizard seriously.  
  
The old warlock had assembled the finest talent that he could. But even he knew about the ruthlessness of Death Eaters and realized all the magical talent in the world wasn't going to help them around the problem of the dark sensors covering Voldemort's lair.  
  
The Weasleys, minus Ginny, Fred, George.....and Ron, were also assembled on the outskirts. All were pale-faced and anxious.  
  
"Arthur" Mundungus roughly barked at his Ministry co-worker. The gruff old warlock focused on something on the ground before glancing up at his friend's face. Weasley looked truly awful.  
  
It was the man's son, one of his children. Fletcher only hoped he would be able to get a good shot at Malfoy, and truly make the bastard pay.  
  
"Ready?" Arthur nodded, wand in hand.  
  
Both turned their attention to the escalating argument between Lupin and Black, with Dumbledore bemusedly watching the entire thing.  
  
"What's wit' those two?"  
  
"Slight difference of opinion." Arthur didn't smile, despite the levity of his words.  
  
"By th' way, we found the children's wands, must've dropped 'em by accident. Death Eaters probably startled 'em both."  
  
Arthur stared confusedly at the two wands, feeling a sharp pain in his chest when he recognized his son's. Something didn't make sense however.....  
  
"Mundungus, where did you find them?"  
  
"Why, just o'er there. Not five steps from us."  
  
Arthur scratched his thinning hair. "Outside of the protective boundaries?"  
  
"Yeah.....why? Ye think that they're sabotaged?"  
  
Mr. Weasley took Ron's wand, running his hand over it. It _felt_ perfectly normal.  
  
"Hmm....no, no I don't. It's just....something seems strange, that's all"  
  
Meanwhile, Remus was getting even more uncharacteristically angry. He gestured pleadingly to Dumbledore.  
  
"You talk to him, Headmaster! He _can't_ come in with me, he'll set off the alarms!"  
  
Dumbledore looked at both of them for a long moment. "Not if he isn't in human form."  
  
Sirius grinned from ear to ear. Remus scowled furiously. "I still say no and...."  
  
"Actually Remus, I would feel better knowing someone is there to watch your back. And who better than Sirius?" Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled warmly at the pair before focusing on Remus.  
  
"Remus, are you ready for this?" Lupin shrugged helplessly at Sirius before nodding.  
  
"Yes Albus. How much time do we have?"  
  
"About three more hours, if Malfoy keeps his word."  
  
"I wouldn't count on it" Sirius growled furiously. Lupin motioned for him to be quiet as Arthur came over.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Mr. Weasley kindly. "How are you holding up, Arthur?"  
  
Arthur looked at the Headmaster tiredly. "As well as can be expected. Thank goodness for Percy, Bill and Charlie or I truly don't know what Molly would do."  
  
"Yes....just have faith, Arthur. We'll get young Ronald back, as well as Miss Hermione and Harry."  
  
Arthur looked aged but he nodded. "Thank you Albus. Remus?"  
  
Lupin looked at him. "I have Ron and Hermione's wands. I thought....once you got in there....maybe you could."  
  
"Of course....good idea." Remus took the wands and buried them deep within his own pockets.  
  
"Will it be all right, Dumbledore?" The old wizard nodded. "As long as they are on your person, Remus, yes...it will be fine."  
  
"What about Harry's wand?" Sirius held up his godson's wand, a little sheepishly.  
  
"Unfortunately, no....the connection between Harry's and Voldemort's wands are too strong. I'm sorry."  
  
"It was with his books." Sirius explained at Arthur's and Remus' puzzled expressions.  
  
Dumbledore glanced at the shimmering boundary, made visible by his own magic and nodded at Remus and Sirius.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
With a *pop* Sirius became Padfoot and Remus set his face.  
  
"Mundungus?"  
  
The old warlock nodded tersely. "Ready 'eadmaster."  
  
"Remember Remus, you must wait to hit Voldemort with the appropriate spell _after_ Harry has been freed. Sirius? I trust you won't have any difficulties with our underground ally?" Sirius growled deep in his throat but wagged his tail.  
  
"Good, be very, very careful. Our spy knows what spell will contact me and then our Aurors will move, drawing Malfoy and the other Death Eaters out, if all goes according to plan."  
  
Dumbledore clapped Lupin on the shoulder before stepping away and letting the reluctant werewolf and his dog companion enter into the boundaries.  
  
"Good luck, old friend."  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Percy waited with part of his family, not knowing if Ron was alive or dead only a few feet away. It was torture.  
  
His poor mum. Molly's eyes, already red from crying from Harry's abduction, now seemed ready to overflow at the slightest thing. There was steel behind her gentle face, however.  
  
Percy didn't envy Malfoy or any Death Eaters when they met up with her. He himself wasn't afraid to fight, either.  
  
He never had been, really. Duty was something so engraved into his personality, Percy supposed he carried it with him unconsciously into dangerous situations.  
  
Or maybe he just wanted these evil demons to pay dearly for threatening his family. Still....there was nothing they could do now but wait.  
  
Charlie, even with all of his experience with dragons, was white-faced under his freckles, fingering his wand. Bill was with his mum, talking to her soothingly. His father was talking to old Mundungus Fletcher, who worked with him in his Ministry department.  
  
As for him, Percy, he felt alone......and scared. This wasn't Ron under the lake, or facing a troll, or any of those other terrible things that he'd wanted to kill his younger brother for doing.  
  
This was real, genuine evil. Without remorse and without a conscious. Percy dug through the vast amount of knowledge in his brain to come up with something useful.  
  
He was supposed to be the smart one out of a family of intelligent people. But all he could come up with was a muttered spell of protection. Causa genus, causa genus, causa genus, causa mi frater, causa Ron.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
"Alohamora" Surprisingly, the passage opened, though Remus knew he had to use his magic very, very sparingly.  
  
Another challenge in an already difficult situation.  
  
The two Marauders made no noise as they descended down the darkened staircase. Sirius melted into the blackness, fittingly, just like his name.  
  
Remus flattened himself against the wall, keeping his sharp ears open for any sound. He didn't hear any yet, but didn't trust one of Voldemort's most guarded strongholds to be sparsely populated.  
  
Once at the bottom of the stairs, Remus gave the signal for Sirius to re- transform. The large dog looked questioningly at his friend, tilting his large head.  
  
Remus whispered softly. "Once we're inside, it's fine. It's outside that's the most carefully guarded. But _no magic_ until I say, all right Sirius?"  
  
One tail wag, their old code. With another *pop* Sirius stood in front of him and the two crept into the shadows, listening carefully.  
  
"All right, we're here. Now what?" Sirius looked impatient and Remus knew he wanted to find Harry as soon as possible.  
  
"Easy Padfoot. We wait for Snape. He's the only one that can take us to the children."  
  
Sirius looked anxiously at Remus. "What about that snake?"  
  
Remus looked mildly amused. "Voldemort? I suppose Snape can point him out to me, he'll have to."  
  
Sirius looked anxious but Remus clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry old friend. Don't the Marauders laugh at danger?"  
  
"Speaking of which, I'd like to find one particular _former Marauder_ just to shake the rat in my jaws."  
  
"Take it easy. The most important thing is getting the children out."  
  
"Yeah.....Remus....?"  
  
"Sirius?"  
  
"You'd better come back or I'm going to have a hell of a time explaining to Harry what's happened." Black's voice was thick and Remus smiled sadly.  
  
"I _am_ counting on it, you know."  
  
"Well.....about time. Nothing like waiting until the last minute." The third whisper caused both to jump guiltily.  
  
Snape looked at them distastefully, with something like triumph in his cold, dark eyes. "Dumbledore should chose his rescuers better. Anyone can sneak up on the two of you."  
  
The three eyed each other with renewed hostility. "You know what we need to do better then anyone, right Snape?"  
  
Snape nodded, his lip curled.  
  
"Fine.....take Sirius to Harry. Is Ron....?"  
  
"Weasley is fine, as is the girl. Though getting them out as well will be an interesting trick."  
  
"We'll manage" Sirius growled. Snape looked at him with hatred before sneering at Lupin.  
  
"And the werewolf's role in this?" Lupin brushed the comment aside.  
  
"Voldemort. Where is he?" Even Snape's unpleasant smirk was gone at this. Sirius swallowed painfully.  
  
"I'll show you, put these on." Snape threw two large, black robes to the two before walking away, silently.  
  
The three trudged down several different corridors, even passing other black-robed wizards or witches, one couldn't tell which. No one spoke. The entire place was rife with tension and had a cold, unforgiving atmosphere.  
  
Remus felt something deep inside him stir and he felt nauseated by it. *Not now....later. I'm going to _need_ it later*  
  
As they passed a particularly darkened corridor. Lupin suddenly got a strange sensation. It was nothing like what he had just been feeling.....yet he recognized it. Something...or someone he knew.....  
  
"Wait." His two companions stopped and looked at him incredulously.  
  
"Are you mad, you fool?! There's no time...."  
  
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up."  
  
"Remus...."  
  
"Go ahead! Find Harry, Sirius. After all this time, he needs you." Remus couldn't see Sirius' face but he could guess the expression. Harry, he needed to see his godson.  
  
"Are you attempting to sabotage us, you traitorous...."  
  
"Shut up! Trust me, I'll catch up...."  
  
The other two slunk away, Snape muttering obscenities under his breath.  
  
Remus trusted his instincts to follow him, down, to the right, right again and.....there was a door.  
  
Tentatively, he knocked on it very, very softly.  
  
He heard a sniff on the other side.  
  
"Hermione? Don't talk, whatever you do. This is Remus Lupin, I have your wand and we're going to get you out, just hold on."  
  
Lupin pointed Hermione's wand at the door, praying it was compatible and the spell would work. He couldn't risk the use of more magic.  
  
"Alohamora" Shockingly, the door swung open. Obviously since the children didn't have their wands, the Death Eaters had gotten lazy with some of the finer points of security.  
  
"Hermione? Can you hear me?"  
  
Blinking against even the small amount of light in the damp corridor, Hermione emerged. To Lupin's great relief, she appeared to be fine, although she was a little pale and her hands were tied behind her back.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
"Actually, no....not any more, but that's not important." Quickly, Remus untied Hermione's hands and rubbed at her wrists a bit.  
  
She sniffed again and looked at Lupin just to make sure it was him. She looked a little fearful so he risked pulling his hood back.  
  
A very bright smile crossed her face and to Remus' great surprise, she hugged him tightly. Awkwardly, the former professor patted her on the back before standing up.  
  
"I'm so glad! I-I thought.....Mr. Lupin, Ron....Harry?" Hermione's face was full of fear and Remus shook his head.  
  
"As far as I know, they're all right. Come on, we don't have a lot of time." Handing the young witch her wand and squeezing her shoulder one more time, reassuringly, they walked quickly down the corridor.  
  
When they got to the main passageway, Lupin pulled his hood back up and pushed Hermione in front of him so that she was concealed by his tall figure and the dimly lit environment.  
  
"How did you know I was there?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "I'm not quite sure myself. I just had a feeling."  
  
The two continued in silence until Remus started to get concerned. They should have caught up with Sirius and Snape by now.  
  
There were several doors on either side of them but Remus didn't dare open any of them. Timing was essential.  
  
Suddenly, a yell of pain made him flatten against the wall, pushing Hermione protectively behind him.  
  
Hermione gasped. "Harry!"  
  
Remus felt sick. It was Harry, he recognized the voice. *Oh....no, please no.*  
  
A tall, thin shadow passed close by, holding someone in it's grip. *Harry*  
  
Remus closed his eyes. This was really going to complicate things.  
  
A wave of panic hit him. Where was Sirius? And he didn't really want anything to happen to Snape either, unpleasant large-nosed git though he was, he had still risked a great deal for them all.  
  
"Come on Hermione." With more calm than he would have given her credit for, Hermione followed him, wand out.  
  
He could hear some commotion going on in some of the other passages. Snape's signal. He must have given it.  
  
*Good old Mundungus*  
  
"What's happening?" Hermione whispered urgently.  
  
"There's a team of Aurors right outside here, they've attacked."  
  
Hermione actually looked relieved, which Remus was glad for.  
  
But still.......  
  
"Remus!!" Sirius' yell distracted him. He saw Snape and his oldest friend running towards him at break neck speed, their hoods down.  
  
"Sirius, what's going on?!"  
  
"Voldem-mort...took...Harry" Sirius was desperately trying to catch his breath. "W-we h-have to...do..something."  
  
Snape was panting also. "The boy is as good as dead if they reach the gathering room." Sirius turned white.  
  
Severus turned to the other two. "I know where to go....you get the other boy and leave here."  
  
"Oh no you don't, Snape. I'm going after Harry, he's _my_ godson."  
  
"Think you idiot! What can you accomplish, he's probably already.....?"  
  
"Silence!" Remus thundered. Hermione looked at him in surprise. "While you are both arguing, Harry's life is on the line. Dumbledore told me what needs to be done. Take Hermione to Ron and then leave. _Sirius_!!"  
  
Black turned his attention to him, though he still looked distracted. Lupin put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I won't let anything happen to Harry, I swear." Sirius nodded anxiously.  
  
"Get Ron...I...."  
  
"My, my......what a pleasssssant ssssurprise."  
  
All four whirled.  
  
Voldemort, one of the most evil wizards of all time stood there, his hideous face actually smiling. Wincing with renewed pain, one thin, white hand over his mouth, was Harry. The boy was struggling fruitlessly against the Dark Lord, who easily held him back.  
  
"Harry!" Sirius' frantic cry echoed around them.  
  
Remus felt cold fear rise up in him before forcibly pushing it down. Pushing Hermione towards Sirius he yelled out, "Get her out of here! Go!! Get Ron...."  
  
"Oh, don't bother.......pitiful really. My faithful servant issssss already on hissss way to kill the other boy."  
  
Sirius grabbed Hermione's hand and bolted, throwing an anguished look behind him. Severus stood next to Remus, holding out his wand defensively. Remus pulled out his own wand.  
  
The Dark Lord was too fast. "AVADA KADAVRA" But it wasn't aimed at Remus, it was aimed at Snape.  
  
Reacting, Lupin shoved Snape out of the way, just as the curse hit the wall behind them with terrible force.  
  
A high, cold laugh and then silence as the wall tumbled down onto the two wizards. Remus felt a rock strike his head and then all went dark.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Sirius froze, Hermione with him.  
  
He turned around as a thick cloud of dust enveloped the pair and felt his chest contract painfully.  
  
"Moony!!" He yelled, his voice terrible. *Remus....no.....*  
  
"Sirius!" Hermione nudged him to get his attention. Trying to focus he looked at her. She looked terribly frightened, but determined.  
  
"Please, please....you have to get to Ron! I'll see about them....I know what to do...."  
  
Before Sirius could stop her, she ran back down the corridor. "Hermione, NO!!" But she was gone.  
  
Cursing painfully, Sirius continued running. He had to get to Ron before that evil.....  
  
Malfoy. Speak of the devil.  
  
The Death Eater was dragging a tall red-headed boy out of a cell. Ron Weasley was using some colorful language of his own until he looked up and saw.....  
  
"Snuffles?!!" If the situation had been less serious, Sirius might have laughed at the nickname. But Malfoy was not someone to turn your attention away from, and Sirius' eyes never left the other's pale face.  
  
"Come one step closer, Black, and I'll kill the boy." Ron scowled, obviously tired of being used as a hostage.  
  
Black stood, watching Malfoy apprehensively. "Come on now Lucius. You can't leave your buddies up there all alone? Picking on a boy when you can prove yourself against some real opponents, like some fully trained Aurors?"  
  
Lucius actually smiled, it gave Sirius chills to see it. "You're right. Let's just say this one is to warm up."  
  
Horrified, Sirius watched the Death Eater point his wand at Ron. Lucius was between him and the boy...there wasn't anything he could do. So he did what James would have done for him.  
  
"RON! BLUDGER!!" Ron dodged the deadly green-lit curse quicker than Sirius would have thought.  
  
Sirius tackled Malfoy to the ground, pummeling him with some well-placed punches before wrestling his wand away.  
  
Ron, trying to help, kicked at Malfoy but accidentally got Sirius in the ribs as well.  
  
"Ouch! Bloody.....get the wand, the WAND!! If you want to help....." Ron grabbed Malfoy's wand out of his strong grip but just as he was about to point it at the Death Eater, Lucius threw Sirius off of him, snatched the wand away again and apparated on the spot.  
  
"Bloody coward!!" Ron yelled in fury at the empty place Malfoy had just been standing.  
  
Sirius stood up, wiping at his bleeding nose and grinned at Ron. "Nice reflexes Weasley. Well done."  
  
Ron grinned back but the expression quickly faded as he remembered.....  
  
"Harry? Where is he?!"  
  
*Harry* Sirius' blood froze in his veins. *Moony, Hermione!!*  
  
Ron echoed his thoughts perfectly. Which was scary enough. "Where's Hermione? Is she okay? We need to get to Harry!"  
  
"The boy is with my master. I would forget about him, his time is finished."  
  
Sirius halted and his eyes narrowed with absolute, feral hatred. Ron's fists tightened in recognition.  
  
"Wormtail......you son of a....."  
  
"Well, Sirius, I should have known you would have been reckless enough to come into my master's lair. I don't think you'll get out alive."  
  
The small, gray-skinned man was standing a safe distance away, his wand pointing at Ron and Sirius. The smug look on his face made Ron ill.  
  
Sirius was beyond that. "You....you are worse than a Death Eater, worse than the rat you are so good at becoming. You kidnapped an innocent boy, you're the one responsible for his parents' death...how could...after what James did for you!!"  
  
Peter blinked. "James, perfect Potter. Perfect, wonderful, everyone bow down to him, James Potter. He always had to be the center of attention and you were just as bad, Padfoot."  
  
Sirius growled again, threateningly. "_Do not_ ever call me that again. You are the most vile piece of....."  
  
"Harry saved your life!!" Ron suddenly yelled out, surprising the other two.  
  
Peter looked very apprehensive. "You owe him!! You know you do."  
  
"Er....Ron....."  
  
Ron flushed. "Don't call me by my name, you rotten traitor!! I should have given you to Fred and George, I bet they would have come up with some just desserts, stupid rat."  
  
Peter actually looked hurt. "I was a good pet! It was Potter that caused the problems!!"  
  
Ron nodded at Sirius who pulled out his own wand while Pettigrew was distracted.  
  
"You don't want to end up like _him_ Ron. I see all the signs, I did then when I was with your family. You act alike, _are_ alike. And what did he accomplish? A miserable convict, years spent in Azkaban and now he'll die in here like a worm in a hole...."  
  
Sirius yelled in fury and made to tackle Peter, magic be hanged. Pettigrew backed away though and kept his wand pointed at them, his hand shaking badly.  
  
"I-I t-think you'll g-get t-tired-d of P-Potter, R-Ron....I-I was j-just trying to help y-you and y-your l-little f-friend, the w-witch w-with all o- of the h-hair."  
  
That did it for Ron. He grabbed Sirius' wand out of his hand and yelled "Stupefy!!" as loud as he could.  
  
Wormtail's silver hand batted the spell away like it was a toy. Both Sirius and Ron gaped in disbelief. Pettigrew looked at the hand in terror before crying out,  
  
"Master!! Forgive me!!"  
  
He looked past Sirius, to the red-haired boy.  
  
"They are down two hallways. Left, then right." Pettigrew apparated, leaving Sirius and Ron open-mouthed in shock.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** 


	15. The Boy Who Lived?

Okay, just a quick word of warning. I had no intention of drawing _any_ comparisons when I wrote this scene. I only have the utmost respect for those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, they are all heroes and deserve dignity. This is only a story, nothing more. All right? Okay, onward!  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
  
  
Ringing...someone needs to stop that blasted ringing.  
  
Snape rubbed his head, trying to see straight in the cloud of dust and rubble that was surrounding him.  
  
There was no sign of the werewolf but he did see another, smaller figure digging around in the mess.  
  
It was a miracle that the entire structure hadn't collapsed on them. Snape supposed that if Voldemort still didn't need it for some purpose, it would have.  
  
"Professor Snape!!" Hermione Granger carefully made her way over to him. Snape stood up, gruffly pushing aside all of her inquiries as to his condition.  
  
Granger looked over the mess anxiously. "I-I can't find Mr. Lupin....do you think...?"  
  
"No, I do not. His type are not so easy to get rid of." Hermione flushed angrily.  
  
"Why do you hate him so much?!! Because he's a werewolf?! That's no reason at all...it's not his...." Snape snarled at her.  
  
"Keep your mouth shut about things you do not understand, foolish girl. Keep digging."  
  
Hermione, not knowing what else to do, followed his orders.  
  
Snape followed suit, not really knowing why. They had to get to Harry, if the boy was still alive.  
  
For some reason, the idea that Potter was dead was rather disconcerting to the Potions Master. He supposed Dumbledore would be disappointed but didn't assume any more than that.  
  
"Professor!! Here...here he is! I...I think he's hurt!"  
  
With surprising speed Snape made his way over. Remus was knocked cold and he did indeed look the worse for wear.  
  
"Hmm, arm's broken. Perhaps some internal injuries. Head wound" Hermione nodded at Snape's quick evaluation.  
  
He glanced at her. "Well, think girl!! Are you as clever as you _think_ you are or not? Any ideas?"  
  
She nodded, wide-eyed.  
  
"Get started."  
  
"But Professor...where are you going?!!"  
  
Snape didn't answer her as he vanished from sight.  
  
Hermione stared after him for just a moment before turning the rest of her attention to Lupin.  
  
A low moan made her feel weak with relief.  
  
"Mr. Lupin?"  
  
"Remus.....the other makes me feel old." The reply was very weak, but coherent.  
  
Hermione smiled, her eyes a little damp. The smile faded when she looked the extent of Remus' injuries.  
  
Tending to them the best way she knew how, she prayed that Ron and Sirius were okay. She prayed that Remus would make it, he looked very, very bad.  
  
And she prayed that Snape would reach Harry in time.  
  
  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Snape clutched at his side, trying to ignore the pain there, as well as the throbbing agony growing on his arm.  
  
The Dark Mark calls. He had chosen long ago not to answer. Especially not now.  
  
He could hear sounds of a struggle ahead and in spite of his fear, he felt a bit of…..pride?  
  
Wretched, stupid boy. Gryffindor courage indeed. More like suicidal impulses.  
  
Pausing at the entrance of the great room, he waited, shivering in spite of himself as any and all warmth and light were sucked out.  
  
Harry was still in Voldemort's grip, bruised but fighting. His eyes looked glazed over from the pain of his reddened scar, even from Snape's limited viewpoint.  
  
Muttering a spell, barely more than a reptilian hiss from that….thing, the fire roared to life and turned a sinister-looking deep red.  
  
Harry fought harder as Voldemort chortled deep within his throat.  
  
"Sssssnape." Severus froze.  
  
"Come now, you did not truly think that I did not know you were there? Come to ssssave the boy? Potter and his little group have won again then, beaten you for all time. Leave his sssson to me, as though you actually have a choice."  
  
Snape stepped into view, breathing hard. Harry's eyes widened in surprise but the Potions Master didn't trust himself to look at the boy.  
  
The Dark Mark on his arm burned savagely and Voldemort's red eyes glowed with evil power.  
  
"You will die for thisssss, no one may betray me. Firsssst, watch your precious boy perish. Tenebrae undique testificor!"  
  
Startled by the sudden exclamation, Snape turned his attention to the fire which was growing even larger, licking at the edges of the Dark wizard's and Harry's robes. Voldemort had cast a universal spell.  
  
Much of England's, and beyond's, magical population would feel if not witness this. The end of the Boy Who Lived.  
  
Snape met Harry's eyes only once before Voldemort threw the young wizard into the flames.  
  
"NO!!" Snape screamed, agony in his voice. "Harry!!"  
  
Voldemort pointed his wand at the erstwhile Death Eater. "Crucio!" Snape was faster, however, the curse narrowly missing him. Without another thought he ran headlong into the flames, after Harry Potter.  
  
"Crucio!!" "AVADA KEDAVRA!!" The Unforgivables came too late and Voldemort screamed his rage.  
  
The scream echoed through the cold chambers. Sirius and Ron froze as they ran through the corridor, Sirius holding out an arm protectively in front of the Weasley boy.  
  
"W-what was that?"  
  
Sirius' eyes narrowed dangerously. "Voldemort"  
  
"Harry?" That name hung in the air as the two looked at each other.  
  
The older wizard gulped, his face losing color but they both continued on, cautiously. A sniveling voice was heard.  
  
"M-m-master? Did it work?!" The last was barely a squeak.  
  
"Wormtail!" Ron whispered furiously. "He turned on us, again!!"  
  
Sirius looked broken. "Yes, fool me once…."  
  
A high, cold voice answered. "That, Wormtail, is for you to find out. The traitor has followed Potter into the void. You will see if the spell was successsssful, then perform the counter-spell. I wish for the boy's ssssstrength to be transferred to me. Maintain the connection!! The rest of our friends should not missssss anything."  
  
"Master, I-I do not have my wand."  
  
"Crucio!!" A mewling scream caused Ron to shiver violently and back away from the shadows surrounding himself and Sirius. Black placed a steadying hand on his shoulder and motioned for him to keep still.  
  
"Mercy, my lord!! It was not my fault."  
  
"Very well, you pathetic rat. Take my wand, complete thissssss. Do not fail."  
  
"Yes Master, thank you, thank you." Peter Pettigrew turned from the hem of his master's robes and glanced for a mere half-second at the door's entrance. Ron could have sworn……  
  
But no…..gripping Voldemort's wand in his silver hand, Pettigrew jumped into the now fading flames.  
  
A grotesque smile crossed the Dark Wizard's features. "Now, for you two…..thisssss will be a pleasure."  
  
Sirius walked into view, followed by a white-faced Ron. Before either could speak however, a huge explosion rocked the room, knocking all three off of their feet.  
  
Ron glanced up dazedly after a moment, but saw only black smoke and blue flames emerging from the fireplace, engulfing half of the cavernous room. Distractedly he wondered about Sirius, hoping that he was safe. All other thoughts were cut off by the terrible screaming and hissing he could hear.  
  
It sounded like something infinitely evil fighting for it's life, something no longer human but primitive, thrashing in the room.  
  
"Nagini!!! He hassssss betrayed ussssss! Come to me, come!! Nagini! NOOOOOO!!" With a burst of white-blue flame, the tall, robed figure crumpled to the floor.  
  
Someone raggedly coughing was all Ron was aware of next, that and the throbbing of his own poor head.  
  
"Ron! RON!!" Sirius' frantic voice could be heard amongst his racking coughs.  
  
"Here!" The lanky red-head shakily made his way over to Sirius' voice. "Thank God, are you all right?" Ron nodded as Sirius threw an arm around him, helping him to stand.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Sirius looked into the now empty fireplace, glancing now and then towards the blackened pile of robes that was once Lord Voldemort. He could only shake his head. "I have no idea. I just wonder if….Snape?"  
  
*Harry* Ron's thought came at the same time. *Where is he?*  
  
Sirius continued to look into the now devastated fireplace and Ron recognized the look on his face. Azkaban look, deadened.  
  
Still, nothing happened. Snape and Harry were gone. As was Peter. It seemed Voldemort had won after all.  
  
Sirius slowly sank to his knees and covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking with audible sobs. Ron didn't know what to do. Black was crying!! Men weren't supposed to do this! Not in front of other people!  
  
Ron's heart wasn't listening. He could feel the tears making their way down his own soot-marked cheeks. The lump in his throat was growing. He could feel his own sobs coming.  
  
Harry was gone, probably dead. He hadn't done anything except try and live his life and now he was gone, after everything that had happened. He would never find another best mate, didn't want one. His was gone.  
  
He heard a soft gasp and saw Hermione supporting a very battered Lupin. Remus' face, already gray and drawn from pain, turned white and he hung his head, placing a hand over his eyes. He looked much, much too old.  
  
Hermione looked as though she were in shock. Ron couldn't say anything to her.  
  
"Ron, what happened? Did it work? Where's Harry?"  
  
"W-we d-don't know. Voldemort cast t-this spell and I-I think...." He didn't get any farther. The young witch had her arms around him as he sobbed, crying terribly herself. They held each other in the dark silence of the room.  
  
"Honestly. For a pack of Gryffindors, I would've expected better from you. Ten points deducted for your sorry faith in myself, and Dumbledore." Snape's dark eyes snapped with fury, his sallow face contorted. His large, dark form could barely be seen in the filthy room. He looked exhausted as well but no one in the room cared because standing in front of him, looking quite dazed, was Harry.  
  
Snape had an arm resting lightly on Harry's shoulders. Both looked as though they had come from a war zone.....but they were alive.  
  
"HARRY!!" Four voices yelled the name at the same time and both Snape and Harry winced. Sirius jumped to his feet and had his arms around the young wizard immediately. The others allowed him his moment. He had earned it.  
  
Harry returned the hug fiercely. There had been times during the last few days that he had thought he would never have another chance to do this.  
  
Sirius lightly rocked his godson in his arms, kissing him on top of the head, then the forehead, then holding him in a crushing embrace before repeating the procedure.  
  
Remus Lupin's eyes were red when he looked at his old friend. Sirius definitely deserved this. And Harry.....well, Harry deserved anything good that came his way. And he was safe, that was all that mattered.  
  
Suddenly the floor seemed to sway underneath him and he felt two pairs of arms help him to the ground.  
  
"Thank you Hermione, Ron.....you'll both be...fine...."  
  
"I wouldn't talk sir" Hermione said firmly, pulling her wand out again. Sirius looked over in concern but she only waved a hand at him as though to say Lupin would be okay.  
  
Returning all attention to his godson, Sirius smoothed Harry's unruly hair away from his face. "Thank God, I....I sometimes thought, I...you...thank you....." Harry kept hugging him and Sirius could feel himself lose control. More tears slipped down his haggard face. "Harry, I love you, you know that right?"  
  
Harry nodded. Sirius finally gave a terse laugh. "Well, say something why don't you? You haven't muttered a word and it's worrying me." Harry smiled slightly and it went straight to Black's heart. He hadn't known if he would ever have a chance to see that smile again.  
  
"I-I'm not sure what happened. One minute it felt as though I was spinning in mid-air then I felt someone grab my arm and it got really hot, like being inside an oven. Then, there was this really bright, bluish light and I fell flat on my back."  
  
"We had both somehow fallen into a field, I'm guessing south of here. Odd choice for a location though." Snape still looked disgruntled, especially at being completely ignored. "I then told Potter to stop his annoying babbling and do something useful, like hold his tongue so that we could apparate back here. Took much longer than I expected but the boy isn't exactly light."  
  
Sirius' eyes flashed angrily but Harry actually grinned. "I still don't get it, what were you doing there in the first place, Professor?"  
  
Snape folded his arms stubbornly, his mouth in a grimace. "I did what I told Dumbledore I would do, now, if you'll excuse me I would like to _undo_ the damage that Potter has caused to all of us, especially me."  
  
"Severus, wait" Snape halted on his way out, he was limping and could feel his shoulder wrench painfully. *Probably out of its socket*  
  
Sirius stood up tall and extended a hand out to him. Snape looked at it like it was something disgusting.  
  
"You saved him" He pulled Harry close to him with one arm. "You saved my godson's life. I don't hold any illusions as to what would have happened if you hadn't been there." Black's eyes held....something, was that respect?  
  
"I can never thank you enough. So....thank you" Snape merely glared at him and re-folded his arms for emphasis. Ron snorted in the background at the Potions Master's obvious reaction.  
  
"Let me make it clear to you...._all_ of you, that I was only acting on Dumbledore's orders. Potter's fate is no concern of mine and I have no idea what occurred back there. As far as my knowledge extends, we should both be dead."  
  
"Pettigrew!" Ron's exclamation jolted everyone. "He...he went in there. Something must have happened!"  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Well, since the cowardly rat isn't here, we can only assume as to what actually occurred." Severus turned to leave. "And Black, make sure the boy gets to the infirmary, where I'm sure Madam Pomfrey has been called back to Hogwarts by the Headmaster." He continued to limp out without another word.  
  
Harry glanced around. "Where are all the other Death Eaters?"  
  
Sirius glared. "You mean Malfoy and his cronies? Probably fighting...and losing, outside against good 'ol Mundungus' team."  
  
"Oh! I almost forgot." Sirius reached into his robe pocket and pulled out.....  
  
"My glasses!" Harry said joyfully, as he slipped them on and breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally...." He looked troubled when he glanced over at Lupin. "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing that Madam Pomfrey can't fix, I'm sure" Sirius injected some enthusiasm in his voice for the three teenagers' sake. Remus had certainly looked better, though, and Sirius could feel the old familiar worry coming back, this time aimed at his friend.  
  
"We should get out of here." Still with his arm around Harry, Sirius began walking out. "Hermione? Any suggestions?" Hermione raised her wand and conjured a stretcher. Ron shook his head.  
  
"That _does_ it! If you don't stop showing off!"  
  
"I'm not showing off, if _you_ would only study...."  
  
Harry smiled and motioned for Sirius to go on as he walked with his two best friends towards what he hoped was an exit. Sirius gave him one last squeeze before letting go, glancing behind him every few seconds to make sure Harry was still here.  
  
Harry sighed. He would have to get used to that for awhile. Ron and Hermione were still bickering, followed by a unconscious Lupin on his stretcher. All three suddenly stopped and looked at each other.  
  
Harry gave a half-smile and said earnestly. "I really missed this, I missed both of you. You shouldn't have risked your life.....but I wanted to say thank you...and..and....." The dark-haired boy flushed suddenly, "I love you both, you're my family, y'know."  
  
He was nearly cut off when both Ron and Hermione grabbed him in a many- armed hug. The three stood there for a minute, arms around each other, all three nearly (Hermione definitely) crying from relief and......something else. Friendship. The deepest kind there is. Harry had never felt as lucky as he did right now.  
  
He cringed when he was uncomfortably reminded as to how sore he was, not to mention he had been put through the ringer by Voldemort's Death Eaters not too long ago.  
  
"You okay, Harry?" Ron looked at him worriedly after the other two had let him go. "Yeah, all right, you?" Ron nodded, "Yeah"  
  
Both grinned at each other and kept walking leaving a very confused Hermione to wonder how so much could have been exchanged with so little.  
  
"Boys....."  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
Dumbledore clapped Mundungus Fletcher on the back with more force than the old warlock would have credited to someone...._anyone_ who looked as ancient as the venerable old wizard.  
  
Well-trained Aurors against Death Eaters who became unglued as soon as the Dark Mark faded from them? Absolutely no contest.  
  
The Weasleys were gathered around each other, checking to see if everyone was safe. Most of the Death Eaters had already been hauled away by more Aurors arriving on the spot.  
  
Minerva McGonagall had also arrived, looking breathless and tense.  
  
"Headmaster!"  
  
"Ah...Minerva! Glad you made it. I take it the Ministry is in order."  
  
McGonagall's mouth became a thin line. "Yes, though we had some very tense moments for a moment. Any sign of them?"  
  
Fletcher and Dumbledore looked towards the ripped up countryside. It looked deserted.  
  
"Not to worry Professor. They're coming. I must say that the plan didn't exactly work the way I thought it would. Who would have thought it possible?"  
  
"Who would have thought _what_ possible, Albus?" McGonagall's voice was sharper than usual as she continued to scan the area for some important signs of life.  
  
"Well, I allowed Sirius to go with Lupin because I thought he might have been the only one to free Harry from Voldemort's binding spell. After all, it took another kind of _bond_ to undo the Dark Lord's evil one."  
  
Mundungus raised a grizzled eyebrow. "Yer point, 'eadmaster?"  
  
"Well, Severus gave the spell that signaled when we should attack, but...something seemed different. I could feel some definite, or specific magic had been used. So, by my best calculations, and they are usually up to par though I struggled past Arithmancy as a boy, he was also able to free Harry, not Sirius, no doubt alarming Voldemort as to who's side he was actually on."  
  
McGonagall looked at the Headmaster suspiciously. "So....your spell for freeing Harry was specific in the type of bond the one controlling the spell needed to have in connection to the boy?"  
  
Mundungus blinked at the two professors, feeling as though he were back in a Hogwarts' classroom.....and that he hadn't studied.  
  
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes actually twinkling when he saw several bedraggled figures and a stretcher in the distance.  
  
"No, no specific bond. Just any old one would do."  
  
**************************************************************************** ** 


	16. What the Future holds

Two Days Later  
  
Dumbledore didn't even look up when Severus Snape came walking into his office. "Headmaster, we should really talk about your office passwords...."  
  
The venerable old wizard smiled at the professor and gestured towards a chair. "Have a seat Severus. I suspect you have some information as well as some inquiries to make."  
  
Professor Snape scowled. "The only information I have now is old news. Malfoy is being retained, awaiting trial. I don't know what will happen to his son and wife. As for the rest, they will most likely be heading to Azkaban unless something drastic stops them."  
  
Dumbledore made a slight motion with his hand. "And Peter Pettigrew?"  
  
"Seemingly disappeared. Though a vault in Gringotts, low-security mind you, was robbed, the thief only getting away with a few Galleons."  
  
"Yes....a most mysterious coincidence." Albus Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses.  
  
Snape looked hard at the Headmaster before speaking. "I was hoping you could clear something up for me, Dumbledore."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why would you ever allow Lupin to risk his life in the way he did? You could probably have found another way, even with our loss of time."  
  
"A fair question Severus. It is hard to know exactly how and what Remus thinks at times. One could say that I offered it to him simply with the thought that I didn't know if he would execpt."  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow incredulously. "You can't be serious. The werewolf is foolishly altruistic and those tendencies are bound to get him killed sometime, since his luck didn't run out on this particular misadventure."  
  
"Then my trust was in the right place, as it has been many times before. It is never easy to ask our colleagues and friends to risk their lives for a higher cause. But sometimes the gamble is well worth it." Dumbledore looked seriously at Snape, who nearly fidgeted under the old wizard's penetrating gaze.  
  
"I don't know what I did that was particularly helpful, except nearly get my neck broken by that blasted boy, once again."  
  
"Yes....Harry owes you a great deal does he not?"  
  
"Like the debt I owed James? The one I paid back many years ago?"  
  
"One should not have to keep track of such things, Severus. And do not underestimate your role in all of this. I have a feeling that your's and Harry's paths are destined to cross more than once in the years to come."  
  
Snape grimaced unpleasantly. "How very fortunate for me. Since Pettigrew is essentially missing in action, what about Sirius Black?"  
  
"I think we have enough witnesses to testify that Peter, and therefore those muggles, were not murdered by Sirius, besides the strength of Harry's word to perhaps gain some leniency. And then there is your testimony, Severus."  
  
"Whatever you think is best, Headmaster."  
  
There was a slight pause.  
  
"You should begin to trust yourself again, Severus. If those who were once your greatest enemies placed all their faith in you, perhaps you can remember that you are not, nor were you ever truly, a Death Eater."  
  
Snape didn't turn around as he made to leave the Headmaster's office. "Thank you Albus"  
  
Dumbledore smiled at the retreating figure and lightly stroked the cooing Fawkes.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
  
  
"Pawn to E5." Harry's brow was furrowed in deep concentration behind his polished and revamped glasses. They had been charmed to rest more lightly on his nose and were even clearer than before.  
  
After the days he had spent in a blurred nightmare, he had become slightly paranoid with being able to see.  
  
Ron glanced at the chessboard then at Harry, trying to keep a straight face as Harry became more and more perplexed with his next move. It didn't help that Harry's pawns kept whispering conspiratorially to Ron's, as they had been bewitched by Fred and George, giving away Harry's next probable moves.  
  
Hermione was resting her chin on her hands, an open book below them on a table in the Gryffindor Common Room. The book had long been forgotten, however.  
  
The young witch's dark brown eyes tore themselves away from the boys' chess game and looked at Harry. His face still had some fading bruises and he had some bandages on his arms but no lasting damage had occurred, especially under Madam Pomfrey's expert care.  
  
He had only come back from the infirmary yesterday morning. He could have come back earlier but the terrific trio had stayed to visit with Remus Lupin.  
  
Sirius was in there with his friend now, despite pressure from Madam Pomfrey to get some rest. Watching over both Harry and Remus had taken its toll on the ex-convict.  
  
There was a great deal more skittishness in Harry's far-seeing eyes now, and he was not allowed to go many places without a chaperone. Ron and Hermione had flanked him nearly everywhere he went in just the few days since their terrible experience.  
  
For now he didn't seem to mind but Hermione wondered at the strain such things would eventually place on her friend. She tried not to sigh. Such things could not be predicted, despite Trelawney's rubbish.  
  
Harry was strong and resilient. He had been forced into some very harsh situations but he would be all right. As she had once said and still believed with all her heart, he was a great wizard.  
  
Someday he would be one of the greatest.  
  
Why else would Voldemort have tried so hard to get rid of not only him, but his lasting influence on the wizarding world?  
  
Hermione's mind came back to the game when she heard a low groan from Harry and, in concern, looked at him. She shouldn't have worried, however. He had only lost the game, predictably, to Ron who was now crowing obnoxiously.  
  
"Better luck next time, mate. Don't feel too bad, the Great Ron Weasley, chess master extra ordinaire may one day show mercy and _let_ you win. For now, humility is the greatest teacher."  
  
Hermione bristled but Harry only laughed heartily. Ron stood up and clapped Harry on the back.  
  
"Another game Potter?" Harry shook his head, grinning.  
  
"Nope, I think I'll let Hermione teach _you_ some much-needed humility, Weasley."  
  
Hermione smiled at her two friends as Ron cracked his knuckles. "How about it 'Mione? Feel like you're up to the challenge?"  
  
"_How_ many times do I have to tell you not to call me that Ron?!" came the waspish reply. Hermione stood up in mock anger and Ron grinned sheepishly.  
  
That endearing expression, that 'I'm sorry y'know but you should also know I'm going to do it again and again just to watch you get mad' always made her feel.....odd. It was just so....so....darn _cute_. Of course, Hermione knew what Ron would do if he could read her thoughts and she shuddered at the very idea.  
  
Harry had moved into an arm chair, getting ready to read one of his beloved Quidditch books.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at him as his attention was involved elsewhere. After the fear and worry the pair had gone through when their friend was missing, keeping Harry in sight had become a priority.  
  
Neither were certain if some odd tendencies both had would fade as the experience itself did. Tendencies such as Ron pulling Harry's bed-curtains slightly open (Harry had told Hermione of the red-head's actions) to check on his friend during the night.  
  
Tendencies, also, like Hermione grabbing every book from the library she thought Harry would like to read so he wouldn't have an excuse to go there by himself.  
  
Teachers checking up on the three all day, the twins turning down a trip to go and see their friends coming back on the Hogwarts Express to stick around. None explained why.  
  
There was also Percy. Hermione thought his actions had been especially peculiar. He had complained about missing too much work with everything that had happened and had been rather grumpy and distant but he had also followed Ron around for the past few days like a mother-hen.  
  
Ron and him almost got into a fierce argument about it but for some reason, didn't. Hermione didn't know what they had said to each other when Ron and herself had safely returned to Hogwarts with their families, except to know that it had been important.  
  
Ron had been smothered with hugs and kisses from his immediate family when they had first returned. His parents hadn't even let him out of their sight the first day. (Easy enough since he was with Harry and that was where the Weasleys preferred to be as well)  
  
Percy, though, had hugged Ron so tightly Hermione thought she saw the youngest Weasley brother's face go purple. He hadn't let go for awhile either, despite Ron's angry and rather embarrassed protests.  
  
Yesterday Arthur, Bill, Charlie and Percy had all returned to work. But Percy seemed reluctant to go until Ron had practically shoved him out the door, saying he would go crazy if he had to deal with his older brother's over-protectiveness one more second.  
  
Hermione hadn't known Ron for over five years to be fooled by that, though. His family loved each other deeply. She was glad to know them.  
  
Harry glanced up at his two friends who immediately pretended to set up another game. The Boy Who Lived smiled at both of them, knowing they had been watching him and knowing they knew he knew.  
  
With two friends like that, Harry was almost sure that he could one night fall asleep and not have nightmares about his experiences, or be haunted by his past and fears for the future.  
  
Almost.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"Sirius, if you don't stop your damn fussing......"  
  
"Yeah? Well if you weren't so bloody stubborn, Moony."  
  
"How would you feel if you had to spend three days flat on your back? I do this enough times during the month. I don't feel like doing it now."  
  
Remus Lupin, former professor at Hogwarts, made to sit up, grimacing as he did so. His closest friend and co-conspirator, Sirius Black, pushed him back down gently but forcibly.  
  
"Dammit! What are you trying to do? Do I have to remind you that you came very close to dying with your stupid stunts?"  
  
Black looked tired as he said this, glancing at his friend, grateful he was there and in one piece.  
  
Lupin grinned. "Hey, can't let the younger generation have all the fun."  
  
Sirius snorted, "Yeah, fun....sure Moony. Where's the responsible adult who's always lecturing _me_ on things?"  
  
Remus shrugged. "Temporary insanity. It'll pass but for now I'd give anything to be able to get out of this bed!"  
  
Sirius shook his head. "Pomfrey said you need to have one more day at least. You came awful close old friend, let's not give Voldie and his buddies what they want, all right?" The words were light but Remus knew what Sirius meant by them.  
  
He always knew.  
  
Lupin nodded. "Fine, but you can at least go and get some sleep. No sense in both of us being confined here."  
  
Sirius shifted in his chair to get more comfortable in reply. He wasn't moving. Remus tried another tactic.  
  
"Where's Harry? Maybe the two of you could chat or something."  
  
Sirius smiled at the mention of his godson. "Harry and his friends should be coming _here_ soon. As well as several other well wishers who remember you fondly, Moony."  
  
Remus blinked in surprise. "Coming to wish the werewolf good health? What would the wizarding community think?" He was jesting but Sirius scowled slightly.  
  
"I think people are finally coming to their senses. Any ideas as to where we go from here, though? Now that Voldemort and his goons are supposedly gone?"  
  
Lupin shrugged. "I suppose there will be plenty of other things happening to keep people occupied. We still have to convince Dumbledore to let Harry come and live with us. Then we have to arrange both of our lives to accommodate a teenage boy in them. You, first of all, need to start paying rent, free-loader."  
  
Sirius smiled brightly. Harry, finally coming to live with him. That's where the boy belonged and Sirius had missed him more than anyone could know. Except maybe his oldest friend.  
  
"He really is James' son, isn't he Padfoot?" Remus said softly.  
  
Sirius nodded, "He's something else besides, Moony. He's Harry" Black thought back to three days ago, when the battered group had arrived back at Hogwarts.  
  
^"Um.......Mrs. Weasley?" Harry's muffled voice could barely be heard. Molly had her arms around him in a tight hug. Maybe too tight.  
  
"Mrs...Mrs. Weasley...I-I can't b-breathe!" Arthur gently pulled Molly away and clasped Harry's shoulders.  
  
"Harry, my boy, I can't tell you how glad we are to see you." Mr. Weasley pushed his glasses further up and gave Harry a hug before putting an arm around his wife, who was weeping.  
  
"Come now, Molly dear, the children are fine."  
  
"I k-know, Arthur...I'm j-just so g-glad!" The kind-faced woman blew her nose noisily. Ron, surrounded by siblings, rolled his eyes but smiled nevertheless.  
  
Madam Pomfrey looked rather perturbed at the lack of attention given to her authority. Although she had managed to look over Ron and Hermione, taking care of minor bumps, scrapes and aches they had, she had yet to really give her full attention to Harry.  
  
"I have some _patients_ to attend to, if you all don't...." She was cut off by the noise of the happy reunion.  
  
After Ron's brothers had clapped Harry on the back (gently, as Harry was wincing from some very real pain) Sirius had placed an arm around his godson, steering him to an infirmary bed.  
  
Hermione, with her parents (who were looking around wide-eyed, being probably some of the first Muggles allowed inside of Hogwarts) smiled at Harry and Ron, still surrounded by a sea of red heads, gave him a thumbs up.  
  
One person was not celebrating, however. Remus Lupin was in the far corner of the infirmary, unconscious. Though Madam Pomfrey had assured the worried group that he would be all right, his condition was still rather grave.  
  
Dumbledore was sitting by the erstwhile professor, smiling occasionally at the group near him but not leaving Lupin's side.  
  
Sirius wondered at Dumbledore sometimes. How the older wizard managed to send those he obviously cared about into danger. Black didn't think he himself could do it.  
  
Madam Pomfrey bustled over to Harry with some bottles in hand, forcing him to take several different potions and medicines. Harry grimaced at a few of them but took them all obediently.  
  
"There, I'll also leave some sleeping potion by your bed for when you need it. Rest well" Madam Pomfrey smiled kindly at Harry, smoothing his dark hair back before trying once again to usher the unwelcome crowd out of her infirmary.  
  
Finally, after promising to come back in a few hours, if not sooner, the group left.  
  
Sirius pulled up a chair, looking as though he planned on staying put for some time. Harry, his head on his pillow, looked at his godfather who looked back at the boy with something indefinable in those dark eyes.  
  
"Sickle for your thoughts, lad"  
  
Harry blinked and his mouth became a thin line. "I was just thinking...."  
  
"Yes? Go ahead"  
  
"I wish that everyone didn't have...well, didn't have t-to get hurt because of me. It would make everything e-easier if...."  
  
"If what?" The sharp reply dared Harry to finish that sentence.  
  
Harry looked up at the ceiling. "I just don't like thinking of something happening to you or Remus because of me. Cedric died because of me and I didn't think I could take the pain, even though I didn't really know him. What if....?"  
  
"Harry" Sirius cut him off gently. "Cedric died because of Voldemort. You had absolutely nothing to do with it. I know, I know from personal experience that no matter how many times people tell you that, you may need time to believe it yourself. But you need to believe it. As for Remus and myself. We would never leave you, not ever. I don't care if I have to invent my own form of magic to make it happen, I will never, _ever_ leave you alone again, got it Harry?"  
  
Harry blinked more rapidly. He hadn't cried, not once since his ordeal. He really didn't now, except for the few large tears that snaked their way down his pale cheeks.  
  
Sirius sighed deeply. "I swear Harry, you are the most amazing kid. I know adults that couldn't have faced what you did."  
  
Silence. Something was etched on Black's face that was almost frightening to Harry.  
  
"We thought you were dead. For just one moment, I was sure you were dead."  
  
Harry still couldn't speak, not yet. "What would I have done then, huh? It nearly killed me. You think you're not worth the risks people take for you Harry? Well, dammit, I do. There's nothing me or Remus wouldn't do for you, that's what family is for. The Weasleys' too. You didn't see them when you first disappeared. They were devastated, we all were. God, Harry, why can't you see it!"  
  
Harry was pulled into another hug by his godfather which he returned, resting his head on Sirius' chest.  
  
They stayed that way for a long time, Harry finally dozing off from sheer exhaustion. Sirius refused to move, however and the two stayed there for most of the night, even Madam Pomfrey leaving them in peace.^  
  
Sirius smiled, remembering. Remus quirked an eyebrow at him, barely seen under his thick, greying, brown hair.  
  
"I just hope you won't be a bad influence on him, Padfoot. After all, Harry doesn't know about half the things you used to pull in school."  
  
Sirius tried to look innocent. "Me? Fine, then _old friend_ I'll have to be sure and enlighten Harry on some of _your_ exploits. And people think that James and I were the ones the girls flocked to."  
  
Remus flushed dark red and became interested in a spot on the far wall. "Well...ahem....we'll both probably have a lot to share with him."  
  
"Absolutely, Moony. Absolutely."  
  
**************************************************************************** * 


	17. Fluffy Epilogue

**************************************************************************** *  
  
All right, (this is a re-write) just one more to whet your appetite for another story. A fluffy epilogue for all of you H/G shippers out there. Later!  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"That's just rotten luck, mate. I mean, you were already in it when you had to have Neville for a partner. Not to mention that Snape's seems like he's just _itching_ to take points away courtesy of you." Ron glanced sympathetically at his friend.  
  
Harry pushed his glasses up his nose, his face glum. "I can't believe this! I think those my stupid ingredients were sabotaged or something. How else could this have happened?!"  
  
Hermione was trying not to giggle. "It's not _that_ bad, Harry. I mean, Malfoy gave me those horrible buck-teeth and that turned out all right, didn't it?"  
  
Ron glared at the young witch. "Hermione! Does _this_ look like what happened to you? I mean, Harry needs his dignity after all."  
  
Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Well, Snape did say it would clear up after a few hours. I need to get to Arithmancy. See you later!" The two boys could hear her snickering all the way down the hall.  
  
Harry scowled.  
  
"Come on Harry. I mean, you always had a lot of hair before this....maybe no one will notice?" Ron was obviously sympathetic but there was a mischevious look in his hazel eyes that Harry didn't quite trust.  
  
"Whatever Ron......"  
  
Both turned at a small sound behind them.  
  
"Ginny! Aren't you supposed to be in class?"  
  
The youngest Weasley flushed. "Yes....and I will be. I-I just w-wanted to talk to Harry for a minute, that's all."  
  
Harry, in the meantime, was desperately trying to hide behind his best friend's tall, lanky form. Unsuccessfully since Ron kept moving out of the way. Dirty git.  
  
If Ginny noticed anything out of the ordinary, however, she didn't show it.  
  
"All right, but make it quick. We need to get to Divination. I'll wait for you at the bottom of the stairs, okay Harry?"  
  
The words weren't lost on the dark-haired boy. No way, no how was Ron going to let Harry go all the way up to the tower without him. Not after what happened the last time. Harry nodded and the red-haired boy walked away.  
  
Harry's face was burning from the consequences of his Potions' mishap. Ginny only continued to study the floor.  
  
"Did you need something, Ginny?" The older boy asked, quietly.  
  
Ginny looked up, her face turning as red as her hair.  
  
"Is something wrong? Is there anything you wanted to say?" Harry asked, not unkindly.  
  
"Other than you need a haircut?" The young wizard blinked in astonishment. Ginny grinned at him, looking a great deal like the twins.  
  
Both then burst out laughing. "Hey! It wasn't my fault, the Hair Restorer we were making in Potions exploded and I got some vapors on me."  
  
"You look like a yeti, Harry."  
  
"Well, I played one for Lockhart once, so it's not such a stretch." Ginny smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Harry stared at her for a moment. *Her smile is.....nice. And those eyes are so warm as well as....Aaaaaaacccckkkkkk! Best friend's little sister, BAD! Any, _any_ other girl, not so bad. Maybe.*  
  
"I...I guess I wanted to say that I'm sorry Sirius had to leave."  
  
Harry looked down as a stab of pain coursed through him. "That's okay. He'll be all right and Remus is recovering too. Dumbledore said I might be able to go and live with him at the end of the year, and I can write to him whenever I want."  
  
"That's wonderful. I...um, er...also...Harry-I'm-just-so-glad-you're-okay- and-don't-ever-do-anything-like-this-again-because-I-don't-think-I-could- take-it."  
  
Harry Potter stared at the young witch, trying desperately to understand the jumble that had come out of her mouth.  
  
Ginny's brown eyes filled with embarrassed tears and she tried to bolt down the hall, scattering books and papers everywhere. She almost made it when......  
  
"Ginny, Wait!! Please......I..."  
  
She took a deep breath and turned around. He was there, looking down at her with those wonderful eyes, so full of wisdom and gentleness. Hard to believe he was only fifteen.  
  
"Thank you, really." She nodded, her cheeks scarlet.  
  
He handed her her scattered supplies and opened the door to her classroom for her. "I missed you too, y'know." He smiled at her as she passed by.  
  
Ginny stared at his retreating form for a moment.  
  
"Take care, Harry."  
  
**************************************************************************** ** 


End file.
